To Each Their Poison
by YoungAndRestless
Summary: Robin has Starfire, Beast Boy has Raven, but Cyborg has been alone since the Titans first banded together. When a quiet, green haired girl wanders into town, and just so happens to have super powers, the more naive Titans, like Starfire and Beast Boy, jump at the opportunity to make new friends, but the others are more wary. CyborgxOC, lemons in marked chapters.
1. A Stranger in Jump City

**Oleander never felt at home in one place; she was a rolling stone, a timid wanderer. When this tiny stranger meanders into Jump City, the Titans are unsure of what to do. The ghosts of their past remind the Titans that to trust to early can be nearly fatal. Orleander looks as the cover art for this story; pale skin, light green hair, and a fluffy, lacey white dress.**

The first thing about her that caught Cyborg's eye was her hair; it was incredibly long, lengthier than Starfire's, and was the color of sunlight through leaves. It almost glowed with an inner light, and Cyborg was enraptured with its unique color. She was sitting quietly and alone across the busy street, sipping from a ceramic cup at a patio table outside a family owned coffee shop. Unlike all the other patrons of the shop, she sat fully in the heated sunshine, her face upturned to the sun, her green hair gently flowing in the slightest of breezes. Her pure white dress, stark against the filth of the city's streets, made her stand out like a sore thumb.

"Cyborg, let's go!" Beast Boy called from further up the street. Cyborg shook his head to clear it, and pounded up the street towards his svelte friend. He kept glancing back over his shoulder at the young woman, who grew farther in the distance, as he strolled along downtown Jump City. The city's streets and sidewalks bustled with activity; honking horns and screaming children, gossiping adolescents and business woman yapping on cellular phones. Raven hooked a sharp right into a nearby bookstore wordlessly, and the rest of the team followed, chittering happily. The conversation immediately dulled as they entered the dusky store, mute with ancient pages and elderly knowledge. Each of the Titans went to the area of the store that interested them the most, easily splitting up and weaving through the shelves.

Outside, the regular buzz of city life intensified; giggles turned to screams and shouts, and the window within the ancient wood pane rattled in protest of the greater volume. Robin returned the comic back to its rightful spot and rushed out the door, silently dashing past the cashier, who shivered with fear behind the counter. The other four rushed from the store quickly after their leader, and began forcing their way against the crowd, heading towards whatever was holding the group back. After a few frustrating seconds of making no headway, Starfire and Beast Boy took to the sky, while Raven summoned a midnight platform to carry Cyborg and Robin on along the way. The five superheroes zoomed above the heads of panicked citizens, and saw the City Bank door fling open.

"Thank you, Thank you, you've all been a wonderful crowd," Mumbo shouted, bowing low to the concrete as people fled from around him as oil avoids water. As he stood, he reached into his tuxedo's pocket, and extracted several cherry bombs. As they exploded around him and caused even a greater panic, his maniacal laugh sounded louder than the din of fear. Still far away, the Titans watched in growing horror as they saw one young person step away from the river of fleeing bodies and into Mumbo's attention.

"Get out of there!" Robin shouted, trying to be heard over the screams of terror. "Faster, Raven!" he shouted at his teammate, impatient to save everyone from harm.

"I can't go faster," Raven huffed as they zipped along. As they flew closer, they saw Mumbo's face contort in glee as he took in the young woman.

"For my next trick, I'll need a lovely volunteer!" Mumbo announced. From seemingly thin air, he pulled a great walking cane. Hooking the end around the young woman's waist, he drew her close, and her meek voice quipped in surprise. His gloved hand stoked her face teasingly, and she recoiled in anger. Cyborg raised his arm, and as his sonic cannon clicked into place, Robin glared at his teammate.

"We're still too far, you might hit her!" he warned. As Cyborg's arm replaced itself, he felt strangely hopeless. They wouldn't make it in time; she was going to get hurt.

A sudden gleam off of her hair caught the mechanical Titan's attention; her green strands were long and silky, stark against an unsoiled white dress. As the following events unfolded, he felt his confusion grow even quicker.

The small female delivered a vicious uppercut into Mumbo's blue face, and flipped elegantly out of his reach, landing perfectly on her tiny feet. After stumbling back a few baffled steps, Mumbo threw his arm out with a glare, and from his sleeve, a huge, colored rope lunged forth. The green haired girl hopped lithely to the side, and in return, held up her own hands towards the magician, a strange thing occurred. The cement around her feet buckled instantly, and two thick vines launched forward, wrapping around Mumbo and pinning all his extremities to his body. He landed with a cry of surprise on his face, and the girl knelt elegantly beside him, a pleased grin on her face. As the Titans landed silently behind her, they heard the end of the conversation.

"Nice trick, kid," Mumbo grumbled, eyeing the young lady above him.

"No," the girl said, her high pitched voice reminding Beast Boy of a canary, "a nice trick would be seeing you sneak out of the cell you're headed too."

"Glorious fighting!" Starfire's bright voice boomed. With a shout, the confident grin on the stranger's face was replaced with surprised terror, and as she leapt to her feet and saw the five superheroes before her, she about faced and began to run down a dank alley.

"Hey, wait!" Beast Boy called. The Five Titans began to pursue her, from land and air, and chased her through a network of alleys before she finally came to a dead end. As she whipped around and found herself backed into a corner, she began to whimper in fear, her frail body shaking.

"Please…I'm sorry, don't hurt me," she croaked, her itty bity voice cracking with terror.

"Uh, we aren't going to hurt you," Raven stated drily, removing her hood to expose her pale face.

"We want to thank you," Robin smiled, stepping forward. "Without your help, Mumbo might've hurt a lot of people." Robin extended his hand in a formal greeting, and the small girl stared at it with doe eyes, as if expecting a trap. "What's your name?" Robin asked after a moment, his hand still waiting to shake the stranger's. The young woman stared at him, her chest heaving with fear. "Look, if you don't feel ready to tell us something about yourself, that's fine," Robin coaxed soothingly, letting his hand fall to his side. "But Mumbo might get away. What do you say, we go wait for the authorities together, so they can thank the proper hero?" Robin moved to the side, along with the other Titans, to allow the newcomer a pathway through them. She approached the tunnel of bodies slowly, then bolted through, as if she expected them to close ranks on her and destroy her from all sides.

"Not exactly the brave and dauntless heroine we've come to know, huh?" Beast Boy whispered to Cyborg as they followed behind the others slowly, eyeing Starfire and Raven above.

"Nah, man, she ain't," Cyborg nodded, thinking of his teammates as well. "But there is definitely something about her." The six waited for the police to arrive, and when the cops thanked the stranger profusely after Robin explained what had happened, she nodded vigorously but silently, a nervous grin on her thin lips. After Mumbo was loaded into the back of a police vehicle and the red and blue lights disappeared around the corner, the dusk of early evening grew awkward with a heavy silence.

"So, ready to at least tell us your name now?" Raven asked blandly, turning to the shy girl. She looked at each of the Titan's faces in turn, and Starfire felt as if she were kicking a kitten.

"Oleander," she squeaked, her own small voice seeming to make her uncomfortable.

"Wow, that's a mouthful," Beast Boy grinned insensitively. "Mind if we call you….Ollie?" She stared at the changeling and shook her head back and forth, back and forth, causing her tiara of green hair to wave around her.

"Well, thanks for the help today, Oleander," Robin smiled, offering another handshake. The green haired girl shook it weakly, but a tiny smile pulled at the edge of her mouth.

"Where'd you come from, Ollie?" Beast Boy asked, playfully punching her on the shoulder. Her eyes grew sad and she rubbed her skin comfortingly as Cyborg nudged his way in between the newcomer and his best friend.

"Don't mind him," Cyborg smiled, trying to seem less like a seven foot tall robot man, and more like a regular man. She stared up at him, her mouth a small "o", and after a moment, her face cracked into a huge grin as she gazed up at him, and Cyborg felt his heart thud underneath his armor. She clung to his side a little, before turning to the group.

"I was just passing through town," her wispy voice said. "I'm kind've a nomad, I guess you could say. I heard the screams and thought I could help."

"You did more than help," Robin said with a satisfied grin as he crossed his arms definitely.

"Oh, absolutely!" Starfire thrilled as she twirled in the air and zipped in front of the small woman's face. "You are most effective at unleashing cans of the butt whoop!" Oleander offered a small, nervous smile, and tucked herself a little further behind Cyborg's arm, using his titanium arm as a wall against Starfire's vibrancy.

"Yeah, girl, you rocked!" Beast Boy cried, socking her again in the shoulder. A tiny whimper escaped her throat, and Cyborg immediately shoveled the smaller man out of the way, protecting his new found charge.

"Where you staying tonight, little lady?" Cyborg asked, in a voice quieter than usual, as he smiled down at his tiny new friend.

"I was planning on continuing my trek, move on to the next city," she grinned, gazing up at the eldest Titan adoringly. A harder thump in Cyborg's chest caused him to inadvertently shake his head.

"Nah girl, come on back to our place! Spend the night, you can move out in the morning!" A chorus of encouragement sound from Beast Boy and Starfire as they began pushing the new heroine towards Titan's Tower, blabbing reassuring words as the frail girl clung to the eldest Titan's arm with nervous desperation. Robin began to follow, then noticed that one of his team members was missing.

"Raven, are you okay?" Robin asked, his eyes slumped with worry. Raven stared after her family ahead, and appraised the slight form of their guest critically.

"We don't know her, and we have already made the mistake of trusting strangers too soon. We've done that several times, actually," her monotone drawl seeming loud in the sudden absence of the boisterous party in front of her.

"I know," Robin nodded sternly. "We won't let that happen again. This time, we will watch her, get to know her. No one is putting the Titans in danger again." Raven nodded in agreement, and the two heroes followed the noise of the shouting group ahead of them in silence, each lost in their own thoughts of betrayal.


	2. Photosynthesis

She was quiet and shiftless as they showed her around the tower, her eyes often glaring up at the fluorescent lights above her. Starfire offered her the entire kitchen's contents of food, but the only thing Oleander would accept was a very tall glass of water, and what Cyborg felt was a miniscule corner of cheese. As she nibbled away contently, her eyes darting across the room and taking in her new surroundings, the Titans tried to pry more information from her; where had she come from, why was she here, where did she get her powers? But through the gentle interrogation, she stayed silent, looking down at the carpet.

After some time, the Titans retired for the evening, and as each of them left to their own dormitories, the visitor said farewell to each in turn. Beast Boy returned from the hall with a plush pillow and a thick, heavy blanket to throw over herself as she slept. She curled up beneath it gratefully, and as Beast Boy slowly stumbled from the room, he heard a crisp, quiet "thank you."

Cyborg was in his charging mode when he heard the floor creak outside his bedroom door. As the plug detached itself from his chest, and his one biotic eye and one mechanical eye opened, his eyes shot to the crack beneath his door. Beyond it, a shadow snuck by. Cyborg crept as stealthily as his large frame allowed, and as the door slid open silently before him, he glanced sneakily down the hall. A slim figure glided up the staircase at the end of the hall. He tiptoed after the apparition, and followed it to the rooftop.

The cold air of the coming dawn slammed into Cyborg's face, and he fought the shiver that threatened to run the length of his body. As he watched, the slim figure dashed to the edge of the tower's roof. Cyborg reached out in terror, and nearly screamed, but the ghost stopped sharply at the very edge of the concrete.

Just then, the pink sky began to bleed a deep red and orange as the sun finally crested the horizon. Oleander stood maniacally on the edge of the roof, her toes dangling over the edge, her face full to the first rays of the day. In her hand, a bottle of water was grasped, and with a desperate grunt and a heaving chest, she wrested the cap off. In a single upturning of the bottle, she drank all the water greedily. She quickly tossed the bottle over her shoulder, and it rolled to a stop inches from Cyborg's foot, from where he was still hidden in the roofed stair well.

The morning was shredded with the noise of a zipper being undone; the young hero gulped as his house guest tore down the zipper that ran along the front of her white dress and discarded it to the side. Unable to look away, Cyborg watched, enamored by this stranger's strange ways. She breathed deeply, and as he watched, her cream skin began to change color; slowly, from a pale eggshell, it change to an olive tone, and from there, it changed to the faintest tint of…green?

Her skin deepened in pigment, and as he watched in confusion, her skin grew more and more vibrant, until her entire bare body was a gleaming emerald hue. As he watched her, her hands splayed, open palmed, to the sun's first warmth of the day, Cyborg thought of the vibrant, youthful color of a noonday sun gleaming through tree leaves. She was glowing. Her hair began to float, defying gravity, spreading out around her like flower petals in the wind. She sighed with relief, and Cyborg sighed with hazy content, just watching.

Her head whipped around, and her hair fell suddenly. Cyborg shouted at being discovered, and Oleander squeaked, diving to cover her exposed flesh. Stuttered apologies, screeched accusations. When Oleander was redressed again, Cyborg felt his tongue grow dry, unsure of what to do.

"What are you doing up?" She asked quietly, the sunrise illuminating her.

"I…you… I heard you go by my room," Cyborg fumbled. She quickly apologized for disturbing him, before turning back to the sun and rescaling the ledge. "What are you doing, it could be dangerous up there," Cyborg warned, hating how he sounded like a over protective granny.

"Plants need sun," she said, turning to him as her hair began to slowly float again. "Well, sun and water. If I don't take time each day to absorb some sunshine, I will feel poorly for the rest of the day." She turned her face back to the sun, closing her eyes, a small smile playing on her sweet lips. "My hair splays to increase my surface area; you know, more photosynthesis." She looked over at him then, eyes slightly narrowed. "That's why I took off my dressing as well. Enjoy the free peep show, did you?" As Cyborg wheeled for a response, a giggle, as soft as a tinkling brook, sneaked from her mouth. "It's alright. It's not every day you get to see a walking, talking plant." He sighed in relief, glad she wasn't planning on investigating further. Yes, he had been curious about her; standing on the edge of a perilous fall, skin turning green, floating hair…but she had also been remarkably breathtaking, her nude beauty something unprecedented.

After what must have been an hour of chatter, she finally stepped down off the ledge, and turned to Cyborg with a smile. "That's it, I'm good." As they headed back downstairs, her skin faded from its emerald gleam to its usual, pale tone.

"Look it's been great getting to know you, but I still don't know anything about you," Cyborg said, slightly apprehensive to try and broach her walls. She shrugged, looking a little more nervous. "Why not tell me a little more about yourself?" Oleander sighed, then looked at her titanium comrade with a sideways glance.

"Trust is earned, not freely given," her fragile voice taking on an edge of steel he didn't think she was capable of possessing. Cyborg's eyes widened, then he nodded with a smile.

"Well, I guess I look forward to earning it," he chuckled, shaking his head at the mysterious visitor, and together, the pair walked into the living room, which was bathed in the early morning light, filtering in through the windows.


	3. Nightmarish Warnings

Raven sat in at the kitchen breakfast bar, a steaming mug of tea in her hands. She turned, her mouth already open to give a curt morning greeting, and as she saw that Cyborg was accompanied, her mouth clamped shut. Her eyes hardened as she turned away, taking a tense sip from her mug. Beast Boy, who was already watching an animal documentary on the large screen, whooped with excitement. He bounded over the sofa's back, hoping on Cyborg's back happily, toothy grin gleaming.

"Come on, Tin Can, let's play some Mega Monkey Five!" Cyborg immediately began detangling his lanky friend from his neck and back; geez, he was an adult now! Didn't he ever grow up? As Cyborg tried to maintain his composure, Oleander watched blankly. The green one was…funny.

Fact was, Cyborg had never before been irritated with Beast Boy's maturity level; he always thought that his shape shifting companion helped to keep him young himself. In truth, he was embarrassed; he didn't quite know why yet, but around this new guest, he felt… nervous.

"Get off, BB, I ain't got time for your monkeying around," Cyborg grunted, finally extracting the younger man off of him.

"Come on, come play with me! Raven is LAME and won't play with me," Beast Boy said louder, his words trying to catch his girlfriend's attention.

"Ha, ha, your hilarious," Raven droned, sipping from her sweaty mug again.

"I can't Beast Boy, I gotta…" Cyborg words halted; he wasn't truly sure what it was he was doing. There was something he wanted to do, badly, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "I gotta go work on the T-Car," he final finished, stumped at his own irrationality. The changeling's pointed ears fell, and the disappointment was evident on his face.

"You could show me how to play," the guest said quietly, tucking a long strand of green hair behind her ear. Beast Boy's eyes alit, and grabbing the new girl's wrist, dragged her before the monitor, blathering about how much she would enjoy the game. Cyborg felt his own body sag in disappointment; he hadn't realized it at the time, but he had hoped his new friend would accompany him. Oleander's young face twisted in confusion sweetly as her hands held the controller upside down awkwardly. A dark blur whizzed past Cyborg and out the door, into the hallway.

"Raven, hold up," Cyborg called, following his teammate out of the living room and after her. When the door slid shut, cutting off the sound of their voice from the other room, Raven finally about faced, her hood casting all her facial features into darkness, save her dark eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I don't like her being here," the sorceress hissed bluntly. Cyborg had always appreciated his dark friend's honesty, but instantly, for reasons he couldn't truly explain yet, he got defensive.

"Why?" he questioned in bewilderment, instantly coming to the visitor's defense. "Are you jealous that she's with BB now?" Raven snorted with a smirk, and pulled her hood down, exposing more of her face, and snide expression.

"No, but I'm certain you are," she quipped, her monotone voice filling the hall.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cyborg growled. His red, electronic eye flashing.

"Nothing, never mind. But I don't trust her, and neither should you." When the large man asked her why, Raven seemed a little uncertain of how to answer. "I… think I had a vision of her last night. And it wasn't good," Raven finally said, her narrowed eyes piercing the floor in frustration.

"Well, what'd you see, girl? Spit it out," Cyborg said, crossing his arms.

"I don't really know," Raven finally admitted, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh? Then how come you doubt our guest? She hasn't been anything but polite and helpful since she got here!"

"Because," Raven snapped, sticking her face close to the giant man's, "I'm not the only one getting a bad feeling. Starfire experienced something last night too."

"Starfire?" Cyborg gasped. The day before, she had been arguably the most excited at having a house guest; what had affected her that would change her opinion so quickly?

"Where do you think she and Robin are?" Raven called as she began walking back to her room quickly. Cyborg stood there, in the hall wordlessly. After a few moments, he stomped mechanically to the garage to buff the Titan's vehicles. Raven slid into her room, it's dark walls surrounding and comforting her.

In all honesty, she wasn't the slightest bit jealous of her boyfriend spending time with the new girl; she knew his love for her. What she felt was… concern, unease, and fear. This new girl had appeared out of nowhere, and had snuck into the Tower's walls, like several others before. Raven feared that, just like the others, she would betray their trust. Between Starfire and her own nightmares, Raven found it hard to not be guarded.

Before Starfire had sought out Robin to comfort her, she had confided in Raven first. "What is it?" Raven had asked, her eyebrows bent in worry. Starfire took a deep breath, and began.

 _She knew exactly what to say, how to say it. How to worm her way into their hearts and homes and how to squeeze her way in between her and Starfire's friends. When she had first arrived, Starfire had been naturally excited to see her, but as the day had worn on, it was clear she wasn't on Earth for a visit; she was on Earth to make Starfire's home her own._

 _Blackfire had found each of the Titan's weakness and exploited it, making them adore her as much as they did Starfire herself. She had smiled and giggled and strutted her way into the home of the young heroes, and within moments of meeting her, each of the Titans had torn down their walls, including Starfire herself, and let her in blindly. Within 24 hours, the stranger was a part of their home, and Starfire was floating on the cusps._

 _"We could use luck like that! Maybe you oughta' join the team," Cyborg had cheered when Blackfire had claimed it was luck that allowed her to destroy the Gordonian drones. Robin had invited her to become a permanent member of the team. Less than 24 hours, and she had infiltrated Starfire's most prized possession; her home, but more importantly, her friends. When the two men had invited her to stay, they did not realize the hurt they had caused hurt._

 _Blackfire was back. She was here, in Jump City, trying to come back into her life, her sanctuary. She had stolen Starfire's clothes and friends, and had framed Starfire, trying to send her to jail in her stead. She had sworn revenge. She was smiling her seductive smile, flipping her long hair, stealing everything Starfire held dear. Her perfect lips parted in a suggestive grin, her smooth hands touching not too often, just enough to convince the other's to fall for her ploy, and her long green hair shimmered around her elegantly._

 _Green? Blackfire stepped from the shadows, and as Starfire's gaze traced up her body, she saw it was, in fact, not her sister. This girl wore a white dress. Her seemingly innocent eyes were narrowed maliciously. Her petite mouth rolled into an ugly smirk._

 _"Hope you don't mind me joining the team," she whispered._

"I do not know how to explain it," Starfire had sighed, tugging on her red hair anxiously. "The day before, I was so happy to make new friends, but my dreams were not happy."

"We've all made mistakes before," Raven had droned, blinking slowly. "We often trust too early those who do not deserve it yet."

"Yet this Oleander is nice! She may be shy, but she is polite and kind, and good with the plants!" Starfire argued. Raven stood up, done with the conversation, and began heading out of Starfire's bedroom.

"Trust your instincts, Starfire. Your dream may be a message. It could be more than a dream."

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked. Raven continued walking, and when the door had slid shut behind her, she had headed to the kitchen; her body was craving tea. Although she hadn't mentioned it, she too had nightmares.

 _"Terra."_

 _"Raven."_

 _"Traitor!" Raven screeched, feeling her control slipping._

 _"Witch." Terra's eyes began to glow yellow, and Raven felt disgusted with herself. Raven had trusted Terra; let her into her home, let her near her friends. She had allowed this to happen. As the battle wore on, it was quite clear who was going to win; Raven had no doubts. She was going to lose. She was going to die. The mud slammed heavily against her body, liquid rock. Raven may have had more real world experience in combat and fighting, but Terra was Slade's apprentice. She was ruthless and conniving, and it had worked._

 _"You know, Raven," Terra drawled as Raven chocked frantically on mud, "I never liked you." Terra's smirk was victorious, demeaning, and cruel. She took sadistic pleasure in not only hurting Raven, but in getting to see the pain, the betrayal, written all over her usually unreadable face._

 _"I never even wanted to know you," Raven spat back in anger. "You may have fooled the others, but I always knew you were a liar!"_

 _"Oh, really?" droned the villain sarcastically. "Is that why you let me live in your house, and steal all your secrets, and-"_

 _"Shut up!" Raven shouted, sending a wave of watery earth at the back stabber. Terra yawned, and held up her hand nonchalantly, causing the wave of mud to melt harmlessly at her feet. Raven steeled herself not to scream as tendrils of mud wrapped around her, binding her arms and legs together, making her motionless._

 _"Not getting mad, are you, Rae?" Terra cooed, pouting mockingly at Raven, struggling to get up from the mud that coated her. "Better be careful; Beast Boy told me ALL about your temper tantrums." Raven felt as if she had been punched in the gut._

 _"Anger is pointless, my emotions are under control," she responded, trying to remain cool._

 _"Bleh, bleh, bleh, anger is pointless," Terra mocked, making a small ball of mud in the shape of Raven's likeness mouth her words. "And you're calling me the liar?" Raven lunged in hatred, teeth bared, feral. Terra calmly summoned a hand of mud to wrap around Raven's ankle, and threw her face first into the lake of filth. More than anything, this is what Raven hated feeling; helplessness. She couldn't fight back against Terra, her father, her fate…_

 _"Come on, Raven," Terra crooned, floating just above Raven's form, "what stings most? That I tricked you? That I nearly wiped out your team? That everyone liked ME better than you?" Raven felt her heart fracture._

 _"Stop it," Raven commanded, hating how weak she sounded. No, they loved her… they had to…_

 _"Or was it deep down inside, you really believed I was your friend?" Raven fought back her tears of frustration; this girl, who was once a scared, homeless, ratty thing, had used their kindness against them. She had warned the others, cautioned them not to trust so easily, and they had brushed her concerns aside. More than anything, she had captured and toyed with Beast Boy's heart. He had trust Terra, loved Terra, and given her all that he was._

 _And she had used it. She had led him on and played with him, and when she was finished, she had thrown him away, a used tissue. Beast Boy had fallen in love with her, trusted her whole heartedly; more than he ever did with Raven. Raven had watched from afar as their relationship grew, and had been happy for him. He had given Terra his whole heart, and she had shredded it, and was now going to kill him. She had tricked them all. Her control snapped._

 _"I trusted you!" she shrieked, her father's demonic side gaining control and morphing her facial features from two lovely purple eyes to four, glowing red satanic ones. Raven threw rocks blindly at Terra, enraged, trying her best to hurt the girl who had hurt her friends, wanting to somehow make it all better. "WE trusted you! We gave you everything, and you treated us like dirt!"_

 _Terra wrapped Raven's body in a column of dirt, and began dragging her down, down, down, into the mud. Terra brought Raven to her knees, and when she was certain she had gained control, she lowered herself to Raven's level, so that Raven's eyes were equal with Terra's boots, almost kissing them._

 _"You know, Raven," Terra hissed, "Beast Boy never liked you either. He told me all about what a crazy hag you are." Raven squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out Terra's words. "Ya' know, I wonder how he is going to react when he realizes that this was all me. He loved me more you know. Imagine how he'll feel when my face is the last one he will ever see." Raven whimpered as her face began to sink beneath the liquid earth. "Who's in control now?" Terra smirked as Raven's lungs filled with earth, burning her inside as she was drowned down, down, down._

Raven shook her head, back in the present, trying to release herself from the reverie of the prior night's nightmares. Years later, after they had started dating, Raven had revealed these insecurities to Beast Boy, and he'd been shocked. He confirmed what Raven had always wanted to hear; of course she had been lying! Terra had been full of lies and deceit. He had said he had always liked her, and even if he hadn't known it, he had always also loved Raven. While he had also loved Terra, what she had said was just that; lies and dishonesty, all so Raven would lose control, and thus, Terra could win the battle. Beast Boy had never spoken ill of Raven, especially to Terra. Terra was gone, everyone was safe.

No, wrong. No one was safe. No one had learned from the past. Twice, once with Blackfire and once with Terra, the Titans had allowed strangers into their homes. They had allowed their trust to gain quickly, and made themselves targets for those who would prey on kindness. Why couldn't the others see it?

Raven was naturally suspicious of those who didn't deserve her trust, and while the other four Titans didn't even see the issue with letting yet another unfamiliar face into their home, Raven did. Raven _always_ saw the potential danger now, after Terra. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice, shame on the both of us. More than anything, Raven wanted to protect her family. They were such good people, welcoming and helpful and gentle; but someone need to be wary, someone need to watch out for yet another disgusting person trying to use them for their own means. Although Oleander hadn't done anything yet to prove Raven's suspicions, Raven would sooner die than let yet another outsider infiltrate their hearts and harm her family. Over her dead body.


	4. True Colors

Cyborg's mechanical arm cranked fiercely, twisting the wrench, tightening the final loose bolt on the remodeled engine for the T-Car. He was bent at the waist, at a ludicrous, ninety degree angle, he was so much taller than the low rider's hood. If Cyborg's robotic back had the ability to grow sore, he wouldn't have minded in the slightest; as he upgraded his baby, he felt an immense sense of pride. He took the filthy rag from around his neck and wiped the engine clean again; he didn't even want the inside of his baby, where no one else could see, to have a speck of dirt on her.

"It's lovely." Cyborg straightened suddenly at the sound of the voice. He slammed his head against the hood of the car, hard. The force with which he hit it caused the pop holding it open to unlatch, and it crashed down on his head again. Cyborg yanked his head out from beneath the metal hood, rubbing at the back of his cranial as he did so. "I'm sorry," Oleander squeaked. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

"How long were you standing there exactly?" Cyborg asked, his deep voice booming in the open, underground garage.

"For a while… I just wanted to check on you since you were gone for so long, but you just looked so intent, I didn't want to interrupt." Cyborg looked at his arm, where the small, inlaid screen was. He rubbed his head in amazement; three hours could really pass quickly.

"Well, thanks." After Cyborg spoke, his words falling flat, inadequate, in the air. Silence built between them, awkward and heavy.

"Whatcha' working on?" she finally inquired, her regal fingers tugging on a strand of green hair nervously. Cyborg explained how he had rebuilt the engine, a little more of this and that, making his baby as flawless as a sunrise.

"I even upgraded the plasma cannon generator she has built into her. Now, she can go twice as fast while using half the energy." Cyborg crossed his arms proudly over his chest, nodding his head in satisfaction. Oleander walked around the T-Car, her fingers stroking the smooth paint gently, her eye taking in the machinery.

"You've put a lot of time into it," she finally says simply, removing her gently caress from the car's exterior. She grins up at him, craning her neck so she can look him in the eye. "Are you done working today? Maybe we can do something fun!" Cyborg felt an adoring grin pull at his lips. She was tiny, smaller than even Raven, who barely capped five foot. Her body was slim, with few curves, something he was privy to know after this morning. Thinking about it made his face heat, so he quickened his thoughts further. She had a round face, with big, earthy eyes, and long green hair that tickled the backs of her knees. The only time he had ever hair that long on a person before was…well, on very young girls. This new friend was rather youthful, in personality and appearance. He couldn't help but want to protect her.

"What did you have in mind, little lady?" She giggled at his pet name, before stalking of a bit of a ways, tapping her finger theatrically to her lips.

"Why don't you give me a tour of the city?" She suddenly chimes, spinning around suddenly. Her white dress poofs out around her legs, and her hair flies around her, a tornado of silk. Cyborg nods his head again, and she bops into the passenger seat quickly. Cyborg makes the engine growl before slamming on the gas and shooting the car into the underwater tunnel leading to the city. At first, Oleander gasps in fear, grabbing a deadly hold on his forearm, causing him to glance at her adoringly again. After but a few seconds, though, she began squealing in joy, telling him to go faster, her face plastered to the glass, staring as the blue water lights the inside of the car. Fish dart to and fro, and she points to each one, squealing for him to look.

The car finally leaps into daylight, and onto the pavement of Jump City's busy streets. Cyborg shows her everything he can think of; the pizza parlor, the video game store, the beach. She bounces about eagerly, her eyes alight with glee as she takes it all in. Finally, after Oleander has chased the seagulls for a period of time, Cyborg call to her, and they hop back in the car together. As Cyborg pulls out of the parking spot, Oleander leans over the console, her eyes excited. "Where to now?"

"You'll see soon enough," he smiles, reaching over and buckling her into her seat. "I save the best for last." She huffs, and crosses her arms angrily, but he can see her grin from the corner of his eye. When they finally reach the city park, Oleander is bouncing in her seat. "Hold on," Cyborg laughs, locking the car doors, when his friend begins to try and jump from the car. "Let me park first!" When he finally puts the car in park, she dashes from the car and bounces over by the front gates, begging him to hurry.

They stroll through the park together slowly, letting her drink in the sights; a boy playing with a dog, a couple on a picnic, a group of rowdy teenagers playing football. As Oleander spins and twirls in the sunlight, blissfully oblivious to everything, Cyborg notices a couple of guys watching them. Before Cyborg can call out a warning, Oleander has skipped and twirled her way closer to them.

"Hey, cutie," one of them cat calls, a smirk on his thin lips. Oleander stops her little jig of joy a looks up at them, her smile friendly, but her eyes a little confused.

"Hello," she greets them unreservedly. "Are you guys enjoying this beautiful weather?"

"Sure," the other guy drawls, eyeing her creepily. "And all the beautiful sights it brings out." She nods eagerly in agreement, her eyes turning to a group of colorful flowers to her right. Cyborg suppresses a gag as the two guys eye the longer zipper that Oleander's dress has, right down the center of her front.

"Come on, let's go this way," Cyborg says quietly, beginning to lead his naïve friend away.

"Hey man, hold up," one of them protests.

"Yeah, what's the rush? She your girl?" Cyborg glances down at Oleander nervously, licking his lips, unsure.

"No, she's just a friend, and we're leaving." Cyborg gently grabs her porcelain elbow and begins to lead her away. As they leave, Cyborg's robotic ears hear every word of what the goons say to their backs.

"Geez, thinks he's some kind of celebrity, huh? Saves the city a few times, and suddenly he's invincible."

"They don't even _look_ right together," the other sneers grossly. "Just look; Beauty and the Beast!"

"Othello and Desdemona," the other one snickered. Cyborg began hurrying Oleander away quicker, not wanting to hear the hate they were spewing. He had never gotten the chance to finish high school because of the "accident", and he had taken to the streets after being shunned for his new looks at school, but he had stuck around long enough to learn what their reference implied; Othello, the large, abusive _black_ husband to Desdemona, his frail, _white_ wife. Cyborg seethed with anger, keeping his eyes glaring down at the ground, and when he was pulled to a sudden stop, he blinked around in surprise. He had started out by leading her away from the miscreants, but while he'd been lost in his own thoughts, she had steered him…here.

He stood in the center of a tiny enclave between a handful of trees. The sunlight filtered through the pines and leaves, illuminating the clearing with a pure, green light. The trunks and leaves were so close together that the trunks and leaves blocked them off from the rest of the world's view, and only the sound, their laughter and chatter, came through quietly.

Shielded from the world's cruel words and judgmental gaze, Oleander sat herself down with a twirl, her dress's skirt filling with air around her again. She grinned up at him, and patted the soft grass beneath her, inviting him to sit down.

"How…did you find this place?" Cyborg asked, still gazing around, impressed with the natural beauty.

"It told me it was here," she replied simply, patting the grass more insistently. Cyborg lumbered over and sat himself down, wincing at how the ground beneath him shook under his weight. He sat a way's from her, trying to keep distance, the bitter words of the adolescents ringing in his ears. She sighed grumpily, and crawled over to him before settling down so close that their arms were brushing. She began to talk, trying to lure her companion into conversation, but he just stared blankly at the ground. She stopped abruptly, and silence filled their sanctuary. Sounds from the outside world filtered in, muffled and quiet, nothing but the hum of life.

Before Cyborg's eyes, two small leaves sprouted. They grew taller and taller, and the bulbs, hanging low with their weight, suddenly busted open, revealing their brilliant hues. One flower was collision of cool colors, blues and purples and green vying for the main attention. The other was a swirl of warmth, yellows and oranges and reds twirling about like paint on the petals. Oleander picked them both from their stalk, examining them closely.

"They're beautiful," Cyborg whispered, afraid of how loud his voice could be in this small space. Oleander looked at him, and offered a small smile.

"I think so too," she whispered tenderly, her eyes caressing her creation. "But now tell me," she suddenly said, straightening her back and the curve of her lips. "Which one is prettier?" Cyborg looked closer, and couldn't find any defining factor that made one more appealing than the other. Oleander offered them to him, and he took each one in his hands, examining them as closely as possible, his red, robotic eye even extending from his head and zooming in for a better look. Finally, he sighed, handing both the flowers over to the small woman.

"I don't know," he conceded, rubbing the back of his head. "They're both the same flower, just different colors."

"Is that so?" Oleander asked inquisitively, holding both flowers in one hand, examining them closer. She leaned all her weight on her other hand that was planted in the ground, causing her to tilt closer to Cyborg. Her arm rubbed his, and when he pulled away, she leaned even further, until the length of their arms were touching again. He glanced down, savoring the warmth of her touch, and saw her pale, creamy skin, rubbing along the small section of his dark, colored skin.

"I find that it's their different colors that make them so beautiful," she said, still not meeting his gaze. She twirled the stems in the filtered light, examining their colors. Finally she looked him in the eye. "But what if the other flowers and plants told these two they didn't belong? That because they were different in color, they didn't belong together?" Cyborg watched as the two flowers began to wilt in between her fingers, bending low, losing their vibrancy and turgor, finally crisping brown. Oleander's gaze never left his face, she just watched his reaction. "Then things wouldn't be so beautiful," she whispered.

Cyborg turned to look at the small person again, and their faces were very close. He could feel her breath on his face, and he felt frozen to the spot. She finally leaned away and looked back at her two dry corpses in her hand with a smile. They began to straighten up, refill with life, their colors coming back with a vengeance. When they were completely healthy again, she looked at Cyborg with a huge smile. "It's up to them to not listen to those other plants," she grinned.

A few moments passed, the both of them just basking in the beauty of her creation, before Cyborg cleared his throat. "I , uh, didn't know you heard them."

"It's difficult to not hear hate without a filter," she frowned, shaking her head. "Some people aren't worth listening too, especially people who are that twisted." A comfortable silence fell between them, and Cyborg finally sighed in relief, relaxed by her presence.

"Thanks," he finally said. She nudged his arm with her own, and Cyborg tried not to enjoy the simple touch. His arm suddenly beeped, and Cyborg lifted his arm, glancing at the black screen there.

"Cyborg, where are you?" Robin's face filled the screen, his ever serious eyes glaring at him through the camera. "We need your help downtown."

"I'll be right there," Cyborg said into the microphone, before lowering his arm and sighing. "I'm sorry, Ollie, I've gotta' go." She hopped up with him, a determined look on her face.

"I'm coming, I wanna' help!" Cyborg nodded with a grin, and the two slipped out from the leaf fort. The sudden direct sunlight and the impact of the park's sounds hit Cyborg, causing him to wince at their sudden intensity. Oleander bent at the waist, and held the two flowers to the ground. Cyborg watched in amazement as the stems reached for the earth and buried itself there, planting themselves. She then turned and the pair began jogging back to the parking lot.

"Mommy, look at the pretty flowers!" a small voice squealed behind them. Cyborg glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a small boy and girl picking Oleander's gifts, their eyes wide with joy. He turned and looked at Ollie's face; she couldn't hide her grin as her lengthy green hair streamed out behind her.


	5. Speed vs Strength

"GREETINGS, TITANS! You're arch nemesis, Control Freak, has been waiting your arrival!" The chubby man twirled the master remote confidently in his hand, smirking at the four Titans before him. His brow creased, and he counted off the heads of the Titans a second time. "Hey, where's the fifth one?"

"Ya' know, Control Freak," Robin grinned, ignoring the question, "they say that too much television can rot your brain, but I suspect you didn't have anything to rot in the first place." With a growl of anger, the villain clicked the large, red button on the front of the remote. The air before him crackled and blurred with electricity before four digital figures appeared in front of them.

"I originally had five hand selected combatants, one for each Titan, but since Cyborg isn't here, we'll just have to deal without the full fledged smack down." The digital evil doers lunged forward confidently.

"Titans, go!" Robin commanded. The four swirled into action, each taking on the villain that Control Freak had summoned for them; a martial artist for Robin, a lion tamer with a fire whip for Beast Boy, a comic book conjurer for Raven, and finally, a professional marksman for Starfire. Each hero spun in a deadly dance with their counterpart as Control Freak watched on, laughing maniacally.

A ways down the street, the T-Car screeched to a grinding halt, the scent of burning rubber filling the air. Oleander and Cyborg threw open the doors and stood for a moment, assessing the situation. Oleander began running first, and Cyborg pounded up the blacktop with her. Control Freak's gaze alighted on the mechanical Titan, and he giggled with glee.

"Cyborg, we have long awaited your arrival!" With a click of his remote, a tiny man with huge spectacles appeared before the charging duo, a large wrench in his hands. "Say hello to Professor Sever. He's from the fourth story arc of the Radioactive Squid anime, and I'm sure you'll get along so well, you'll fall apart at the seams!" Professor Sever, as the frail looking villain was called, launched forward with incredible speed. Oleander easily rolled out of the way, but then again, she wasn't his target. With a deft twist of his spindly arms, the wrench twisted at one of the bolts on Cyborg's body; his left arm detached from his body, landed on the ground with a thud.

"Hey! There ain't been a recall on my parts, man!" Cyborg shouted, beginning to try and grapple with the slippery man. Oleander returned her attention to the overeweight man, cackling on the sidelines, his master controller in his sweaty palms. Oleander rushed him, and with a knee to his gut, brought the man to his knees with a heave.

"Who….who are you?" he choked out, crawling backwards from the unfamiliar heroine. Ignoring his question, Oleander wrinkled her nose as she looked down at him; he smelled of sweat and deep fried food.

"You don't get outside much, do you?" she finally giggled, her tiny voice slipping in between the cries of combat. With an angry growl, Control Freak pointed his remote at the stranger and clicked the large, red button decisively. A huge, towering man in black armor suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking him from Oleander's view. The black knight swung a huge claymore at Oleander, who barely ducked and back flipped free from harm in time; the enormous blade crashed into the brick wall beside him, slicing through the rock with ease.

"Well, lucky for the both of us, I'm outside plenty," the girl said sweetly tucking a strand of free green hair behind her ear. Her right hand tickled the air to her side, beckoning the ground from whence a long, slender thorn half her height grew; she plucked it deftly from the ground and wielding her sword, faced her opponent.

The knight lunged and Oleander spun gracefully out of the way, her own thin blade no match for the sheer weight the claymore. She leapt and danced, stabbing quickly, a zipping bumblebee in comparison to the sluggish, overpowered swings of the larger person's swings. She twirled left and right, easily avoiding the crash of the heavy blade, but whenever she stabbed with her own thorn, the width of the two handed sword blocked her openings.

Finally, the digital evil doer lunged wildly, irritated with his inability to make contact, and she saw her opportunity; with a flick of her left wrist, a tiny vine sneaked in between the cracks in the concrete and wrapped around her opponent's ankle, using his forward momentum and a sharp tug, from below, the mountainous man fell to her feet with a groan alike that of a felled tree. With a dramatic cry of victory, Oleander plunged her thorn into the center of her warrior's back; with a crackle of static, his pixels fell apart, leaving only a tiny girl with a large thorn stuck into the pavement.

A squeak of fear brought her attention back to the leader of the apparitions. Raising her hand, a vine shot from beneath Control Freak's feet and snatched the remote from his trembling grasp. It tossed the remote high, and as Control Freak screeched, chasing after it, trying to catch it, a green gloved hand shot into the air, grabbing it before it could once more fall into the villain's hands.

Robin smirked down at the middle aged man, his hand held high with the trophy of victory. "Looks like this movie debut wasn't a sell out," he said cockily, before his fist tightened, fracturing the master remote into countless pieces. All the other specters, which the other Titans were still fighting, vanished. There was a calm moment, before Control Freak's wail of defeat filled the late afternoon.

Moments later, as he was being loaded into the back of a police car, Starfire was crushing the new girl in an alien embrace. "Wonderful, absolutely spectacular! You certainly are talented at combat!"

"Thank you," Oleander wheezed. When Starfire finally released her, she stumbled on her small feet for a moment, before clinging to Cyborg's arm shyly again, trying hide from the congratulations. Beast Boy hip bumped the botanist boisterously, whooping loudly. When Cyborg growled at him to cool it, and Beast Boy saw the nervousness on the timid girl's face, he quieted down considerably.

"Way to go, girl," he finally said, offering a closed fist calmly. After staring at it for a moment, Oleander's own petite fist ventured out, before bumping the shape shifter's knobby one, then darting back behind Cyborg's massive forearm.

"Their right, Oleander," Robin said, nodding with a grin as the police cars whizzed away. "You're really impressive in the field, where did you learn to fight?" She gulped, glanced up at Cyborg's encouraging grin, before offering the smallest of smiles at the Titan's leader.

"Guess I get it from my mom," she finally said quietly. Raven, who was pleased with the victory and leaning against Beast Boy with a small smile of content, focused her attention on the newcomer, her eyes narrowed, waiting for more details. When none came, Robin continued on.

"Well, you did great, and I say that's earned you another night at Titan's Tower. Come on, gang, let's head home."

"You were amazing," Cyborg whispered down to the tiny woman under his arm. If Oleander had been happy with the praise from the others, she was suddenly glowing with joy. As the party piled into the T-Car, she had difficulty hiding the huge grin cracking across her face.


	6. Confrontation

When the Titans finally reached the tower again, the first order of business attended to was dinner; Beast Boy ordered several pizzas, and before long, a movie was popped into the television. A comedy that Oleander struggled to understand the jokes of blared loudly, and halfway through, when the delivery girl arrived with their dinner, Robin ran to the door and paid of it before tripping back into the room with the Titan's food. They ate greedily, the battle leaving them hungry, and although Raven found the movie boring and pointless, she enjoyed seeing everyone happy. Starfire was the first to start talking when the credits finally rolled, admitting that she herself found the jokes confusing. Oleander hid her relief at not being the only clueless one, and after lots of chatter, a few more slices of pizza, Beast Boy announced he was off to bed. The others followed suit, saying goodbye to one another, and after a few seconds, Robin realized that Oleander looked a little out of place.

"Hey, Starfire, why don't you show Ollie to our spare room? She probably wouldn't like to sleep on the couch again," Robin smiled, nodding to his girlfriend. Oleander walked after Starfire as the alien chatted animatedly. She spoke of the movie's strange jokes, the odd punch lines, and awkward camera angles. She stopped in front of a door, and when the sensor detected their presence, the door screeched open sorely. It was obvious that no one had entered through the doorway in quite some time. In the dark room, tiny dots of light scattered the ceiling, filling Oleander with confusion; was she outside?

Starfire flicked on the light switch, and the room alit with a warm glow. The ceiling and halfway down the walls, dark purple paint depicted a night sky, with tiny dotted lights mimicked stars. The horizon was carved by a dusty orange of a desert, and the circular bed in the center of the room was also a light lilac. Oleander felt suddenly small and insignificant. She imagined that if she laid in the center of the bed and turned off the lights, she could believe she was in the middle of nowhere. "This room is wonderful," Oleander breathed, spinning, taking in the artful mix of color and light.

"This room was once the domain of a dear friend," Starfire said quietly. Oleander sensed the mournful tone, and turned around to assess Starfire's expressive face. Her emerald eyes were squinted with haunting memories, and her perfect teeth nibbled at her full lip. "She was dearly loved." Oleander looked around the room again; time and sweat was put into the décor and aesthetic appeal of this bedroom. It was beautiful and impressive. Although her gut told her not to ask, Oleander couldn't stop herself; she wanted to know whose room she was in, and why it was avoided like the plague.

"What happened?" she asked simply, turning back to the orange woman. Silence filled the room's cold atmosphere, before a small, sad sigh ended it.

"Terra was once a Titan. She had power over the earth, and even though she was very strong, she could not control her powers," Starfire whispered, staring at the artificial landscape. "She turned to our nemesis, Slade, who promised to teach her how to control her powers in exchange for her servitude. Once she was strong, he ordered her to kill all of us." A pause. "She tried." Starfire looked sightlessly at her purple boots, and was quiet for so long, Oleander wondered if she had forgotten she was there. "We were lucky to survive her fury. When we returned, alive, she saw the error in her ways, and betrayed Slade; however, her anger triggered a live volcano. To save us and the whole city, she sacrificed all the remaining strength in her body to turn the lava to rock. Her body was so drained that she also became stone."

Oleander stood dumbstruck, wondering how she could ever even hope to live up to such a woman. "Wow," she finally sputtered, stupidly. Starfire shook herself, and although there was still a sadness in the alien's eyes, her bright smile tried desperately to hide it.

"That is the past of the ancient type. Come! This is now your room for the night, and you must rest!" Starfire happily grabbed Oleander's hands and spun her around in joy before placing her gently on the edge of the mattress. Oleander permitted herself a quiet giggle, before smiling up at the Titan.

"Starfire, you've been so kind to me while I have been here," Oleander grinned. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome," Starfire nodded. She turned and walked to the door, flicked out the lights with a quiet goodnight and strode out the door. The moment she was gone, Oleander released a sigh of relief; goodness, it had been a long day! She dove under the blankets and snuggled against them, pulling them up to her chin. Her heavy eyes shut, and she began to drift off into unconsciousness when a knock on the door pulled her attention back to the physical world.

Thinking it was perhaps Starfire to give her extra pillows, or maybe Cyborg coming to say a final goodnight, she opened the door without a second thought, and was surprised when it slid all the way open.

"Oh! Raven, how ca—" The sorcerous shoved past Oleander's fragile form, working her way into the room. She looked around the room, her usually passive face warping through countless emotions; confusion, hate, pity, sadness, yearning. Raven turned and faced Oleander then, and her face hardened angrily. Oleander gritted her teeth; she wasn't good at direct confrontation.

"As far as I am concerned, you are not welcome here," Raven hissed, her usually passive voice filled with heat. "The others might like you, welcome you. Hell, some of them even feel emotions for you that are more than skin deep. But this is my home, this is my family, and you are not welcome here." Silence rang threateningly, and Oleander swallowed hard, tears brimming in her round eyes.

"Did I do something to upset you?" she whimpered. Raven felt pity for the girl, she really did. Raven wasn't heartless, and she knew that she was stepping out of line, punishing this innocent lamb for the trespasses of other betrayers. But those that meant the world to her, those that she would willingly give her life for, had been burned before, and here was yet another flame, and no matter how fragile and tiny it was, it was a threat.

"I want you to understand your position here in Jump City," Raven growled, keeping her Rage in check. "This is not your home. You are but a guest who is beginning to overstay her welcome in my opinion. Robin might allow you to stay for as long as he may, but let me tell you something." She took aggressive steps forward, and with a whimper, Oleander backed against the wall. Raven stopped inches from her face, her brow furrowed, her voice chagrined, and her hands planted into the wall on either side of her victim, trapping her. "You make one slip up, you make one mistake, give me one reason to think you would hurt Beast Boy or the others, and I'll do much worse than kick you out of the Tower." Tears streamed down Oleander's face, and her hands were pressing against her chest, trying to hold her heart in place.

A few seconds past, and then as quickly as she had come, Raven warped through the floor, and Oleander stood alone. She slumped to the floor and buried her face in her arms, crossed over her knees. Her sobs racked her body, leaving her thin frame quivering weakly. She thought of running to Cyborg's room to seek his strong, protective embrace, but decided not too; she didn't want to give Raven a reason for more late night visits.

Oleander crawled into the bed and back under the comforter, imagining the soft linens was a hug from any of her new friends, even thought about it being Raven, apologizing for her actions, and drifted off and away, into a temporary, but painless, slumber.


	7. A Visitor from Gotham

Several weeks passed, and Oleander remained as the Titans guest. She helped out about the house, joined them on social outings, and helped put several criminals behind bars. The days melted together seamlessly, and Oleander quickly felt at home within the Tower's walls, even though a constant chill remained. While all the other Titans had accepted her quiet ways whole heartedly, Raven kept her face passive but her eyes sharp. Oleander was very careful with how she handled herself, even when the sorcerous wasn't around.

The Titans strolled about downtown Jump City, their conversation light and optimistic. Beast Boy cracked another of his poorly crafted jokes, and Oleander giggled quietly under the groans of the rest of the team. They stopped in front of an ice cream shop, and each of the members bought themselves a cone. As Oleander eye her mocha flavored scoop cautiously, Robin smiled at her.

"Didn't you have ice cream shops where you come from?" Oleander licked the cold sphere, hummed with pleasure, and took another lick excitedly before looking back at Robin.

"Sure we did. I just never stopped to get some," Oleander shrugged. Robin pressed for a little more about what her home town was like, but as always, she remained vague as possible, shrouding her past with fog. Although he didn't know much about her, she had helped Robin and his team countless times already, and had been staying in the Tower for nearly a month now; in his opinion, if she was going to betray them, she would've done so by now. She had earned Robin's trust.

"Beast Boy, stop it," Raven grumbled at her boyfriend dryly. "You're making a mess." Beast Boy lapped at his cone messily, smiling as he ignored her slight reprimand.

"Really dude, slow down, half your cone is already on the ground!" Cyborg smirked, eyeing the grown pool of melted caramel swirled cream on the pavement at Beast Boy's feet. Raven hissed again for the shape shifter to slow down, and Robin couldn't help but smile. He knew that Raven didn't enjoy Oleander's presence; didn't like her, didn't trust her, didn't want her to stay another minute. Yet, when he thought of which two out of the group were most alike, he couldn't help but pair the two up. Just like Oleander, when Robin first met Raven, he knew nothing about her, only that she had enough power to be very dangerous. He didn't know of her past, where she had come from, or what she had to hide. With time, he saw that Raven's loyalty did lie within Jump City, and he and the other Titans had eventually stopped asking questions, trusting that with more time, they could find out more about her.

The surprise they felt when they learned of her paternity was flooring; Trigon was the very manifestation of evil, but she had never let her father's personality decide her fate. Raven was strictly on the side of good, and in the end, she had save the planet by banishing Trigon from Earth.

Similarly, the Titans knew nothing of Oleander. She kept her secrets closely guarded, and no one had been privy to her origins. Even Cyborg couldn't convince her to reveal more about herself. The rest of the Titans all knew the budding romance between the metal giant and the fragile flower, but whenever a teasing comment rose onto the lips of one of the others, it was swallowed quickly. Cyborg had trouble with his love life; first Jinx, then Sarasim. He had a bad habit of falling for those who couldn't be his. Starfire hoped that, this time, things would be different for her brave friend.

When they had all finished their frozen treats, they began once more down the sidewalk, the bustle of the streets welcoming them, inclusive to anyone on the street. Starfire _ooh-_ ed at various things and asked a couple questions about some of the more outlandish wares for sale or performers.

A loud boom sounded behind the heroes. The six whipped around, and viewed the growing black, mushroom cloud with apprehension before charging in the direction. Citizens screeched in panic and ran, crying for help as the Titans snaked through the river of bodies. Finally arriving on the scene, a tall, curvaceous woman with long, curly red hair stood in the middle of the chaos. Green vines caressed her, hiding nearly none of her skin. A vine was wrapped around a young man, holding him immobile as she leaned in seductively, brushing his cheek with her long fingernails before leaning in for a kiss.

"Ivy!" Robin shouted, both in surprise and an attempt to halt the villainess. Poison Ivy's half lidded eyes opened and focused on Robin's masked face, and her luscious lips curving into a lecherous smile as she pulled back from her toxic kiss.

"Oh, Robin, how good to see you again, it's been some time," she cooed, her voice deep and seductive. The vine wrapped around the young man dropped him to the ground, and with a scream of terror, he scrambled away on all fours.

"Aren't you a little far from Gotham?" Robin growled, his hands curled into fists.

"I missed you, dear," Ivy's voice purred. "It's been so long, and I wanted to check in on you." Her eyes rested uncomfortably just below the buckle of his utility belt. "My, my, how've you _grown,_ " she whispered. Starfire growled with a feral nature, and her eyes began to glow green heatedly in jealousy. She did _not_ like this new visitor; Poison Ivy oozed sex and moved as the essence of seduction.

"Leave immediately!" Starfire shouted. "You are not welcome here, you are destroying our home, and you do not belong!" Ivy shifted her gaze to the Tamaranian, and her eyes turned seductive to amused as she eyed the Titan.

"Can't do, kitten," Ivy chuckled belittlingly. Starfire's pride burned in her throat. "I've come to look for something of mine, and I intend to find it." Poison Ivy flicked her green wrist, and a giant pine tree erupted from beneath a car, throwing it like a pebble into the air, zooming towards a toy store.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven chanted, her palms extended. The car stopped just short of crashing through the storefront windows, and Raven placed it gingerly on the sidewalk.

"Titans, go!" Robin commanded. The six fanned out and surrounded the villainess, and she grinned at the challenge. Cyborg unloaded a beam of his sonic cannon, and she cartwheeled free from harm, just as a vine shot from the ground and wrapped around the cybernetic arm. It pulled taunt and Cyborg shouted in surprise, finding himself suddenly pinned to the ground by the vine wrapped like a vice around his forearm.

Beast Boy morphed into a ram and charged, bleating challengingly. Ivy side stepped him easily before sweeping one of her long legs underneath his hooves, causing him to slide face first into the blacktop of the hot city street. Robin dashed over and took out one of his boomerangs, using it's sharp edge to slice through the vine holding his arm down as Starfire took to the sky. She threw countless starbolts, raining them onto the head of her enemy. With a surprised cry, Poison Ivy was thrown against a brick wall, her back slamming into the stone.

With an angry growl, Ivy peeled herself off the wall. She held her palm open, and a purple bulb grew in the center of her cupped hand. When the orb was secreting a noxious green gas and the size of a baseball, she threw in suddenly at Raven, who had thought she had remained outside of Ivy's peripheral. The bomb exploded on contact, and Raven screamed as she was knocked to the side.

"Raven!" Beast Boy cried, jogging to her side. As he knelt down to help his lover to her feet, a sticky yellow sap latched onto the pair. The two struggled to free themselves, Raven even trying to fill the adhesive with her Soul Self so she could destroy it, but they bondage held fast. Beast Boy morphed again and again, trying to get big or small enough to free himself, but likewise, he was trapped.

Starfire dove and snatched Ivy around the waist before once again throwing the villainess again a building wall. Starfire zipped in closer, and went for a powerful jab, but before the blow landed, A vine snaked around her ankle and slammed her to the ground, back and forth, back and forth, leaving crater's in the cement.

Robin rushed to Starfire's aid, trying with another of his boomerang's to slice through the thick vine that was pummeling his girlfriend against the stone. Cyborg, now free, searching around him, trying to find Oleander, who had suddenly disappeared.

Ivy sucked on her teeth disappointedly, sashaying slowly towards Beast Boy and Raven, who struggled with the resin that bound them. Once Poison Ivy was standing proudly above them, she bent suggestively at the waist and grabbed Beast Boy's chin, forcing him to stay still and look at her.

"My, my," she purred, dragging one nail down Beast Boy's cheek, "Aren't you a handsome one?" She leaned in to press her red, poisonous lips to his, and he whimpered with fear of the unknown.

"Get away from him!" Raven growled, spitting on Poison Ivy's cheek. Ivy wiped away Raven's saliva slowly, her eyes murderous as she turned to the sorcerous, releasing her commanding hold on the shape shifter's chin. Raven didn't see the slap coming, but the ringing in her ear told her the back hand was savage. She turned to mock her adversary, but when the green, heeled boot kicked her head back, her vision began to spot with thousands of tiny black dots.

"Raven!" Beast Boy whimpered, trying to scoot close enough to touch her, hold her, only to find that he was glued just out of his reach. He couldn't save her. Robin held Starfire's limp, bruised body in his lap, finally able to free her. His head snapped up at Beast Boy's cry, and watched the brutal beating Raven's immobile body was getting. He threw a discus at Ivy's back. Prior to contact, a vine shot from the ground and caught it inches from Ivy's red, curly hair. Without even turning around, Ivy commanded the vine to hurl the bomb back; it exploded on contact inches from Robin's steel toed shoes. His body and Starfire's soared through the air, feathers on the wind.

Ivy turned her attention back to Raven, whose eyes were narrowed angrily. "So, little bird," Ivy cooed mockingly, "How's it feel to have your wings clipped?" Raven growled angrily, but when a needle sharp thorn suddenly reared in front of her throat, her eyes widened in fear. It pricked her skin ever so slightly, drawing a trickle of vibrant, red blood against her pale grey skin. Raven bit her lip, trying to hold back her whimpers as Beast Boy repeated her name over and over, sobbingly trying to take her mind off of the pain.

"Stop!" The thorn suddenly withered, turning flaccid in the air and withdrawing from penetrating Raven's soft skin. Ivy's lips cracked into a triumphant smile as her back straightened and she turned to face her new adversary.

"Oleander, dear, I was wondering when you would arrive," Ivy purred, her eyes gliding up and down Oleander's form, taking in the aggressive stance the heroine had taken. "Seems you've learned a bit while you've been here."

"Leave Jump City, now!" Oleander commanded, her long, green hair beginning to swirl about her agitatedly.

"I simply can't darling," Ivy drawled, inspecting her nails carefully. "Everyone back in Gotham misses you so; Harley has been bugging me nonstop about when your little road trip will end."

"I don't want to go back," Oleander spat. "And I didn't want to be found."

"Well, since you didn't leave me the number of the hotel you've been staying at, I had to become more creative on how to find you," Ivy snorted, rolling her eyes. She looked about, glancing over at the Titans again, then shook her head in disgust. "So these are the hoodlums you've taken to?" She eyed Cyborg, who was trying to rouse Robin to consciousness, with particular disgust. "Riff raff." Oleander used her body to block the green woman's view, her usually smiling mouth an angry frown. Poison Ivy's face turned from amused to strict. "It's time to come home."

"I'm not leaving," Oleander said just as firmly.

"Why must children be so stubborn?" Poison Ivy sighed, shaking her head. She suddenly punched a fist forward, and a smattering of large, razor sharp splinters of wood shot from the ground towards Oleander. The young girl pulled her hands over her head, and a hard, brown shell rose and encased her. The collision of the projectiles cracked loudly in the still air. Oleander lowered her shield and summoned several vines to wrap around Ivy's legs, trying to bring her to her knees.

A war of vines and leaves and thorns and wood and toxins flooded the street as the two battled, fighting for supremacy. Each time one gained the upper hand, the other would quickly squash the advantage.

"You're stronger than before," Poison Ivy panted in surprise, dodging and weaving through the attacks.

"I've been training hard," Oleander hissed, doing a sudden aerial flip in the air. Following the extended point of her leg, a sharp piece of wood shot towards the villainess. Ivy easily side stepped it, unimpressed.

"You're aim could use a litt-" her sentence was cut short as a short slap sliced across Ivy's face, causing her head to whip to the side and her tangle of red hair to fling about. As Oleander retracted the vine, satisfied and proud with herself for such a powerful hit, Poison Ivy turned to look at the small girl, her eyes filled with murder. Across Ivy's perfect cheek, a gash of several inches was oozing sap. "ENOUGH!" Ivy held her hands to the ground, and the ground began to buck and warp, as if giant worms were trying to claw their way to the surface. Tree roots as thick as cars shattered the black top and sidewalks, the high pitched keening sound ringing in Oleander's ears viciously.

Her legs buckled, and she fell to her knees roughly, the rough pavement scraping her knees. Poison Ivy strutted across the street, as if the ground beneath her wasn't as fluid as water, and approached Robin and Cyborg. As the titanium Titan saw her coming, he hobbled on his knees and tried to aim his plasma cannon at her. When he fired off a shot, Ivy stepped easily to the right, causing the blue energy to slam into a nearby building; the roof caved in. Ivy landed a ferocious round house kick on Cyborg's left cheek, sending him flying from Robin.

"No!" Oleander cried out in panic. She did her best to scramble across the blacktop, crawling on her bloodied knees and bruised palms. Ivy turned back to the heroine and smirked.

"Oh? So this one is special to you then?" Thick roots pierced the ground and wrapped around Cyborg's body as he shouted in fear, holding him down. Ivy sashayed over, had the vines lift his face to hers, and with a suggestive wink to Oleander, planted a harsh, commanding kiss on his lips.

Everything stopped; the buckling ground, the twisting vines, and Oleander's heart all froze. Ivy slowly pulled away from Cyborg, and as she did so, the roots binding his arms to his sides lightly placed his feet on the ground, leaving him standing, his eyes closed. Seconds ticked by, and Oleander choked on her breath, still on all fours. "Cyborg?" She whimpered with hope.

His eyes opened, and Oleander cried out with despair. Both of his eyes, the biological and mechanical, shimmered with a green light. "Now let's see how well your training has truly paid off, dearie," Ivy snickered, holding her hand out commanding to Oleander. Cyborg's arm raised immediately, and his plasma cannon shot a beam at the vulnerable girl.

Oleander's body soared through the air and smashed against a street light post, her back cracking on impact. She fell roughly onto the pavement, then quickly scrambled away as a follow up shot incinerated the street lamp she was just under. "Cyborg, please stop!" she cried, her wide eyes looking back at her friend with fear as she fled. "It's me!" She squealed and rolled away as another beam chased her down. As she rolled from her crouch and looked up to see where her adversary was, her head was smacked back as Cyborg swung a car at her. She skidded across the pavement, her white dress ripping and fading to grey, her skin shredded and bleeding profusely. "Cyborg," Oleander croaked, rising to her knees as he approached her. "Please, remember me." His metal boot slammed into her cheek, her hair splaying beautifully around her as her neck snapped around.

"Oleander!" Raven shouted with fear.

"Get out of here!" Beast Boy snarled, trying once again to free himself of the impossibly sticky sap. Starfire groaned from where her unconscious body laid far away.

"Azarath Metrion-" Raven's mouth was suddenly full with leaves, and she choked trying to clear her throat.

"Nu uh uh!" Poison Ivy cooed, shaking her finger belittlingly. "Little Ollie needs to handle it herself. She knows she's capable."

"I'll never be like you," Oleander whispered, her voice echoing off the building walls as they watched, silent and indifferent to her beating. She tried to push herself up onto her feet, and screeched as Cyborg's huge hand dug its thick fingers into her long locks, yanking her from her knees by the roots of her hair. His metallic backhand made her vision temporarily black out, and after a few swings around for momentum, tossed her into a wall. She slammed back first into the brick, and as she fell away, the imprint of her body remained.

"You know what you have to do, dear," Ivy sighed, examining the stitching of her green gloves, bored. Cyborg's fist wrapped around Oleander's throat and raised her from the rumble, her feet dangling below her.

"But Mother… I don't want too," Oleander groaned, squeezing her eyes shut with disgust.

"Then you'll perish at the hand of your lover," Ivy said off handedly. With a flick of her wrist, Cyborg's closed fist pulled back to his ear, ready to crush her skull.

"I'm so sorry," Oleander whispered to Cyborg's stoic face. With a flick of her fingers, thin delicate vines shot from the ground and slipped inside the shoulder socket of Cyborg's mechanical arms. They quickly prodded the delicate pressure points and attachments, and both his arms disconnected, clanging to the ground and dropping the slim girl. She dodged a kick his thick leg shot out, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her own tear soaked lips against his. Oleander's toxins weaved into his lips and mouth, and slowly, the bright green of his eyes faded to a paler shade as the control was passed from one woman to the other.

Oleander finally slid back to the ground, her face distraught. Cyborg mechanically reattached his arms as Oleander commanded him to, and only the tinkling of Ivy's victorious laughter filled the air. "There! You see dear? You're finally at your full potential!" Oleander looked with watery eyes across the battlefield, hate and sorrow mixed in her brown eyes. "You're just like me," Ivy sneered.

Oleander turned her face away from the villainess, and Cyborg's plasma cannon raised simultaneously, firing a shot at the mad botanist. It slammed Ivy's chest, and she skipped across the pavement.

Sirens filled the air. Down the street, squad cars rounded the corner, approaching quickly. As the pavement was bathed in blue and red light, Ivy quickly tried to rise to her feet to flee, only to be bound to the ground by Oleander's vines. "You're not going anywhere," Oleander hissed, tears streaming down her face, as she jogged up to Ivy. "You've ruined _everything_ , and you're going to pay for it." Ivy's cool face suddenly twisted with rage and hate before once more smoothing into seductive calmness.

"No matter," Ivy purred. Several yards away, officers were hopping out of their vehicles when they came to where the pavement was so fractured they couldn't continue on wheels, their firearms drawn. "I've done what I mainly came here to do, even if I can't convince you to return to Gotham with me. How does it feel to take away someone's free will, dear? To making them a devoted and unquestioning slave?" Officers grabbed Ivy's shoulders, reading her rights, as Oleander's bondage slipped away and were replaced with handcuffs. As she was being led away, Ivy shot a wink back at Oleander, saying "Besides, have you ever known a penitentiary that's been able to hold me?"

Oleander watched as Poison Ivy was shoved into a back seat and hauled away, her heart racing with passing adrenaline. Slowly, she turned and limped to Raven and Beast Boy. She pulled the leaves out of Raven's mouth, ignoring the nervous and suspicious stare Raven gave her, and coaxed the wax off of the two. As Beast Boy and Raven embraced, whispering how grateful they were that the other was safe, she stumbled over to Starfire and Robin. Cradling each of their heads in her lap in turn, she pressed her hand against their noses and released the sickening scents of decomposing flora into their nostrils. They mumbled in their sleep, then their eyes suddenly shot open and consciousness returned and they flipped onto their sides and retched trying to rid their brain of the scent.

Satisfied that she had awakened them from their unconscious states, Oleander turned slowly, and faced Cyborg, whose eyes still glowed a pale green, under her influence.

 _That… took forever to write! In case you might not have picked up on it, yes, I have made Poison Ivy Oleander's mother. I also made a slight parallel to the TV show… Remember that episode in season 4 when Trigon tells Raven she shall be his portal? Her response is "But father, I don't want too." Likewise, as Ivy tries to bait Ollie to kiss Cyborg and poison his mind with her powers, she tells her mother that she doesn't want to be like her._


	8. Welcome Home

Oleander stumbled towards the metal man, her legs wobbly and bloodied. Her breath rattled from her lungs weakly, and her vision blurred with every other step she took. She placed her hand on the center of Cyborg's massive chest and closed her eyes, focusing. In the back of her mind, she heard Beast Boy explaining what had happened after Robin and Starfire had been knocked out to the others. With a growl of frustration, the usually passive girl removed her hand from his chest plate and placed it forcefully on his cheek, trying to find a connection to his biological components.

"Oleander? Is he okay?" Robin finally asked, his masked eyes tight with worry. Oleander remained quiet, then with a sigh, removed her palm and turned slowly to the Titans.

"It's hard to tell when the toxins will fully work through his body," she said quietly, her meek voice even quieter with exhaustion. "His bionic components affect his metabolism in a way I'm not familiar with. He should be fine in a few hours." Silence filled the air; the street, void of the usual hustle and bustle of the city, was ghostly.

"Let's go home," Robin finally sighed, rubbing his sore shoulder with a wince. Oleander nodded, and took a step towards the Tower, off in the distance, only for her thin legs to give out beneath her. Cyborg's arm mechanically shot out and caught her. Starfire glided over, her emerald eyes filled with concern.

"Oleander, you are most certainly wounded from your recent conflict. Here, allow me to assist you to our home." Starfire threw Oleander's arm over her shoulders to help carry her, but upon finding how light she was, simply scooped her up and carried her, a tiny baby to the alien's strength. Cyborg followed behind the women mindlessly, and Beast Boy morphed into a seagull and followed slowly.

Wind filled Robin and Raven's capes, and Robin watched wearily as the others walked away. "She's powerful," Raven droned, her eyes narrowed with betrayal. Robin nodded, but kept quiet. "Too powerful." Robin sighed with irritation and began following the others, not wanting to engage in a conversation quite yet. "She's a hazard to all of our safety."

"What do you want me to do, Raven?" Robin snapped in irritation, his left leg twinging with pain as his weight rested on it.

"Get rid of her," Raven replied instantly, gliding next to Robin. "You're the leader, and this is our home. Tell her it's time to leave."

"I can't do that," Robin sighed, shaking his head in refusal. "She's been nothing but kind to the others, and she's been nothing but helpful to the city."

"Her very presence is a threat to every person here," Raven growled, pulling up her hood and casting her features into shadow. She flicked her palm at the ground, and a platform of dark energy appeared low to the cracked concrete before her leader. He grunted his thanks, climbed on gingerly, then sighed with relief as he relaxed, hovering alongside her. "That was proven today." Robin remained stoic in silence. "Poison Ivy should have never became Jump City's problem, she came hundreds of miles from hoe just to seek that green haired goblin out. She can't be allowe-"

"She deserves a chance to explain and defend herself," Robin snapped suddenly, his voice deep with indignation. Raven's scowled was hidden by the shadows, but Robin could sense her anger.

"Didn't you hear _who_ Oleander is?" Raven snapped, negative energy cackling furiously about her fingernails.

"Raven, she deserves a chance to defend herself," Robin said firmly. Raven opened her mouth again to argue, but Robin sighed with pain and exhaustion. Raven's mouth clamped shut as she rubbed his shoulder in supporting as they slowly made their way back home.

At the Tower, sighs of relief filled the room as the Titans relaxed on the couches, finally relieving their weary feet of their weight. Oleander bee-lined to the sink and grabbed the largest cup she could find from the cupboards, filling it to the brim. Cyborg marched to the couch and sat down heavily, his eyes still lit with a pale green inner light. Raven slid into her corner of the room, by the large, floor to ceiling windows, and folded her legs in the air there, waiting. The sun was setting, and the room was bathed in a heated orange glow.

Robin limped to the fridge and yanked open the freezer, grabbing an ice pack. He moaned with relief as her pressed it to his left shoulder, stretching his sore neck. Oleander gulped greedily from her cup, avoiding his gaze as he leaned against the fridge, appraising her. "Oleander?" Robin prodded. She flinched visibly under his words, and Robin instantly felt guilty for the position he was putting her under. Beast Boy looked away, uncomfortable. He wanted to defend her, tell the others to give her time and open up on her own, but they needed answers.

"Ollie?" Robin tried again, his voice much gentler. Her watery brown eyes met his gaze, an ever so slowly, pulled the rim of her cup away from her quivering lips. Raven felt the waves of anxiety and fear roll off of the tiny female, and her mind frizzled with mixed emotions. Raven both pitied Oleander and was irritated; where was her backbone? "I think you owe us all an explanation." Oleander took another huge gulp of water before sighing and heading to take a seat on the sofa, a safe and comfortable distance from both Beast Boy and Cyborg, who still stared mindlessly out the window. As Raven watched, the torn skin on Ollie's knees began to heal. She took another sip of water, and the wounds closed even further. Raven's eyes narrowed. She might seem weak and vulnerable, but she wasn't human, Raven was sure of that now. She was more than capable of taking care of herself.

"I came from Gotham City, as I'm sure you've gathered," Oleander said quietly, staring at the tears in her stained dress. "Ivy wanted to have some help with her… endeavors. She grew a bunch of buds, and I was the strongest. She terminated the others, unnamed brothers and sisters of mine." She tucked a strand of green hair behind her ear, and looked out to the setting sun. "I knew something was wrong, every time we hurt someone or whenever the cops would chase us. I didn't really understand what was happening, but I knew something was wrong. I ran away about a year ago."

She took another long sip of water, and sighed with relief as it helped relieve the stress she was feeling. "This is the longest place I've stayed." Silence filled the room. "I feel like I'm home here." Robin sighed.

"You're welcome to stay here," Robin stated finally, causing Raven's head to snap in his direction.

"As a permanent member of our family," Starfire smiled welcoming. Oleander's eyes widened in surprise.

"But…but today…"

"It's not your fault that Poison Ivy followed you here. You aren't responsible for her actions," Robin said sternly. "You are, however, responsible for _your_ actions, and you protected all of us and the city." Oleander smiled a small grin and nodded, feeling joy bubble up inside of her.

"You can keep the room you are currently in!" Starfire giggled happily, hopping up and down.

"Actually," Oleander suddenly interjected, "could I, uh, maybe do something on the roof?" Robin asked what she had in mind, and she offered a nervous smile as an answer. "Could I, uh, maybe build a greenhouse?" Robin thought about it, and smiled.

"Why not? We accommodate all of our Titans." He pulled out a communicator from his utility belt and held it out to the quiet young lady. "You're now an official Titan!"

"Welcome home, dear friend!" Starfire cheered, wrapping her arms around Oleander joyously.

"So, uh, when will Cyborg, be, uh, Cyborg again?" Beast Boy asked nervously, waving his hand in front of his best friend's blank face. Oleander's happy smile immediately fell, and she stood up quickly.

"Hopefully within the hour," she sighed, frowning sadly. "I'm going to take him to his recharging station in his room." She walked out of the living room, and Cyborg marched behind her obediently. Robin, Starfire, and Beast By chattered away, returning to normal life, complaining about various aches and pains. No one noticed Raven warp through the floor, her face filled with rage.


	9. Mirror Image

_There will be swear words in this chapter; this is a M rated story, and this chapter is very intense. If it's too much for you, might I suggest not reading a story whose summary explicitly states lemons? If you can handle sexual themes and not language you should have heard by the time you were twelve, that's more of a personal issue, don't you think? Enjoy!_

Oleander lightly rested her back against the closed bedroom door, allowing her eyes to droop shut as she sighed with exhaustion. She felt drained, mentally and physically from the day. When she had woken up earlier that day, with the morning light filling her body with good vibes and energy, she never would have imagined running into her mother. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong had happened, and yet… they still accepted her. She sighed with happiness. They knew everything now; where she had come, the things she had done, but they saw past it, and saw who she herself was. Sure, Cyborg had yet to hear her story, but she was certain he would be just as accepting as the others. She giggled with glee; she finally had a home. Not one filled with plotting and malice, but with joy and laughter.

She opened her eyes and swallowed a scream. "What do you think you're doing?" Raven demanded, inches from Oleander's nose.

"Raven! You frightened me," Oleander gasped, pressing herself harder against the door she was leaning against. The metal door had changed suddenly from something supporting her to something boxing her in.

"You will leave, immediately," Raven hissed relentlessly. She pressed closer to Oleander, her breath tickling the young woman's cheek. Oleander tried to squeeze by, but Raven's hands shot out, and she was once again trapped in between them. "You are not staying, and you are not welcome here. You are a threat and a curse to have, and today has proved that above all else."

"Raven, none of that was my fault! I had no idea Poison Ivy was here," Oleander whimpered.

"You must've known she would seek you out, and even if you didn't know, you must have had an idea. You are just as guilty as if you had torn the city apart yourself." Dark tendrils of negative energy began to slip out from the edges of Raven's leotard, sneaking from around her wrists and writhing about Oleander's head. Oleander shivered with fear, her eyes large and pleading.

"Raven, please, the other's know I'm not to blame, and-"

"Quiet!" Oleander's jaw clamped shut, and she felt a huge tear sneak from her left eye and down her cheek. "You are Poison Ivy's daughter! She is one of the world's most notorious villainess, and you hid that fact from us! You've got poisonous blood coursing through your veins. You're just as bad as her." The tendrils of Raven's Soul Self writhed with more agitation, reminding Oleander of snakes; cackling with malice at her imminent pain. Deep down, indignation and injustice began to bubble through her fear.

"Raven, stop," Oleander said. It was a command; a weak one, but one with force behind it all the same. Raven didn't even notice.

"You aren't a Titan, and you never will be. You don't belong here; you never have, and never will. Now, get out." At that moment, with a flick of a single finger, a dark digit licked forward and scraped across Oleander's cheek. It's cold, icy touch lit a fire in her stomach.

"STOP!" Oleander Slapped Raven's wrists away with a screech, breaking the prison she had created with her forearms against the door. Summoning all her power, within a moment's notice, thick, dark green vines shot through the windows, shattering them, and slammed against Raven's chest, throwing her, an unexpecting rag doll, across the room. The very foundation of the tower shook with Oleander's frustration and anger. Far off, in the living room, Starfire screamed with shock, and Robin asked Beast Boy what was happening. Raven's chest instantly bruised with the force of impact, and she felt her Anger spike. She hopped to her feet, her cape billowing with her power, and the girl standing before her hardly resembled the frightened girl Raven had grown accustomed to seeing.

Oleander's long green locks whipped around her, as if a tornado had taken hold of them. Her huge, watery brown eyes shined with a pale green light, and were slitted with madness. Her pet vines, thicker than two of her put together, curled about her obediently, begging for direction.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT'S LIKE?" Oleander demanded. With the sudden rush of her angry words, one of excitable vines lashed out, tossing the bed in the center of the room against the wall, exploding with splinters. In Raven's core, Fear appeared, rare and unfamiliar. "ALL MY LIFE, I'VE BEEN BLAMED FOR BEING THAT BITCH'S CREATION, HER DAUGHTER!" A thick vine shot towards Raven, sharp and full of intention. With a gasp of surprise and fear, Raven summoned a blade of dark energy to slice it in half just in time. "I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS! I NEVER WANTED TO BE BLOSSOMED! I WOULD RATHER BE DEAD THAN LIVE THIS HALF LIFE OF BEING HOMELESS AND UNWANTED! I DIDN'T ASK FOR HER TO BE MY MOTHER, I NEVER EVEN HAD A CHOICE!"

Behind Oleander, a pounding on the door sounded. Beyond, the other Titans tried to break in. A vine held the door shut; Oleander wasn't finished. "AND JUST LIKE ALL THE REST OF THE WORLD, YOU DARE JUDGE ME NOT ON WHO I AM OR WHAT I CHOOSE TO DO, BUT ON THINGS BEYOND MY CONTROL!"

"Starfire, take out the door!" Robin commanded, the tower shaking harder as more vines scaled the structure. Starfire's lit emerald green, and she focused her Starbeams on the door, melting a large hole through it. Cyborg, awakened from his reverie by the shaking of his home, hopped through the red hot hole first, just in time to see Raven fleeing out the broken window, and Oleander giving chase, her vines lofting her in the air.

"Robin, its Raven and Oleander! They're the ones destroying the tower!" Cyborg called back.

"Stop them! They're gonna' bring the whole thing down!" Robin commanded. The Titans followed the others out the window, Starfire carrying Robin, Beast Boy morphing into a pterodactyl and carrying Cyborg.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shot a huge orb of dark magic at the botanist, which she barely dodged, causing the attack to slam into the tower. "You enslaved Cyborg, took his free will!" Raven's eyes began to itch; she could feel her darker, more powerful side, her Hate, gaining control as her extra two demonic eyes struggled to open.

" YOU THINK I HAD A CHOICE? THE CITY WAS IN DANGER! YOU NEVER GAVE ME A CHANCE!" Oleander's voice bounced off the tower, off the water below. "YOU'VE BEEN TRYINGTO SCARE ME OFF SINCE I FIRST CAME HERE!" Seaweed from below shot up, trying to wrap around one of Raven's ankles.

"Azarath Me-" A vine slipped around Raven's mouth, gagging her words. Raven's eyes widened in horror as Oleander was lifted closer and above her, looking down at Raven.

"Oleander, stop!" Cyborg called, unheard.

"I'm not scared of you anymore," Oleander hissed in anger, her sudden quiet terrifying after the whole world had been ringing with her words. "And I'm not weak."Raven's eyes began to glow red, and the vine that was slowly wrapping around her was highlighted in her dark energy and withered away. Raven spun away, her four demonic eyes glowing red now, her tentacles of darkness sneaking from beneath her robe.

The pale green light in Oleander's eyes dimmed, and her brown irises appraised Raven's new form. Slowly, her vines stopped their approach. Raven's demon, sharpened fangs, glistened in a sudden grin.

"What's wrong, little girl?" Raven growled with a laugh. "What happened to not being scared?" Oleander stared at Raven for a second longer, before shaking her head in disbelief.

"You're not human," she stated plainly. Raven cackled, about to throw another smart remark into the night sky, but Oleander's voice cut her off. "Tell me, Raven, since you aren't a human, what are you?" Raven's sarcastic grin turned to a scowl, but she remained silent. "Ah, so you won't tell me. It's something you couldn't change, something you couldn't control." Raven's tendrils from beneath her cloak began to retract. "You of all people know what it are like to be judge for something you can't control," Oleander whispered, beginning to command her vines to carry her back to her shattered room. "You know what it's like to hate where you come from, what you are…but you're so bitter, you can't even see your reflection in front of you."

She rotated in the sky, and her vines gently placed her on the splintered wood of her bedroom floor. Vines began to retract from the tower's walls and windows, relinquishing its death grip. The other Titans watched silently as Raven's eyes returned to their violet normality, and the look of shame that came over her face. Tears slipped down Oleander's face as she went through the tower, heading down to the basement, where the underground tunnel would take her under the sea and out to the city, where she could begin her pilgrimage across the globe again.

"Oleander, wait," came a voice. Oleander turned to look back up the staircase. Cyborg sprinted towards her and stopped arms length away from her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving," she choked, tears flowing freely.

"Why? This is your home now," Cyborg frowned.

"I almost destroyed your home! I could've killed her!"

"It wasn't your fault."

"You don't even know what happened," Oleander sobbed spitefully and turning to continue down the flight of stair to the basement. His huge palm caught her slim shoulder, halting her.

"I don't need to," he whispered, turning her back around.

"You'd believe me, some street scum, before your own family?" Oleander hissed angrily, hurt and lashing out, a beaten dog just trying to defend herself,

"Raven's made it clear she doesn't want you here before. I'm certain she started it," Cyborg cooed, trying to calm the fragile girl.

"I kissed you, I took control of your very will power, enslaved you," Oleander shouted, trying to pull herself free, trying to show him how dangerous being close to her could be. Raven was right; she was a hazard. "You weren't even a person! You were a mindless _robot,_ " she hissed, trying to hit him where she knew it would hurt.

Cyborg winced, but continued to pull Oleander close. "What makes you think I wouldn't do anything for you without your toxins?" He stroked her face slowly, and planted a slowly, deep kiss in the center of her sweaty forehead. Oleander broke down, sobbing hysterically. He scoop her up in his massive arms and cradled her there on the stairs, hushing her and telling her he was there, that everything was okay, that she was okay.

Above, Raven sat on her bed, Beast Boy beside her, staring at her hands , which were folded in her lap. Starfire and Robin had returned to their own quarters. When they had been certain the drama was over for the night, they had retired themselves, planning on sorting out the rivalry and beginning repairs in the morning.

Beast Boy mechanically stroked Raven's hair, angry with her, for he knew who had started the fight, but unable to not love her. "It's okay, Raven, it wasn't your fault."

"Shut up, Beast Boy, yes it was." Raven's cold tone was responded with a sigh of love. Beast Boy pulled her into his laps and kissed her on the lips, glad she was acknowledging who was in the wrong.

"I know, dear," he mumbled against her soft skin. "You had the best intentions, just trying to protect us all."

"And I was a crazy witch bitch about it," Raven snapped.

"Yes, you were," Beast Boy chuckled, kissing her again, ever the honest. "Now, it's up to you to fix it, because she's staying here." Raven scoffed in disbelief, but Beast Boy pulled away to settle her with a serious look. "Raven, you said it yourself, the battle was your fault. I'd bet you set her off, I've never seen her so pissed before. Besides, do you really think Cyborg is going to let her leave?" Raven rolled her eyes and looked away. "He loves her, Rae. She's as much a part of this family now as you or I." Raven sighed and nuzzled back into her boyfriend's chest, her mind swirling with residual shame of being called out on her paternity, and images of thick, angry vines coming for her, being sent by a vengeful angel.


	10. Healing

Time passed at Titan's Tower, and repairs took much less time than you would anticipate. With Starfire's, Beast Boy's, and Cyborg's super strength, the tower's structure was rebuilt in no time at all. While the three of them worked on their home, Robin and Oleander were working on her room. The idea she had for her quarters was simple, but required more finesse than strength; she wanted her own greenhouse. The large, glass projection on the roof of the tower was off to the side, furthest away from the basketball court. It was a invisible room, with all the walls being glass, and had mister's lining the ceiling. A huge, fresh water bath sat in the corner, and across from it, a moss bed that suited Oleander's needs better than a traditional mattress.

"I don't understand how you can like this," Robin huffed, wiping at the sweat on his brow as he set up the final mister above, "but as long as you like it, I guess that's all that really matters." Robin clamored down the ladder, again wiping another sweat bead from his temple. Oleander grinned, completely happy; the glass they had used to build her sanctuary was a special order just for her; it captured almost all the heat of the sun and kept it. The room would be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit year round.

"Thanks again so much, Robin," Oleander nodded, her pretty white teeth gleaming from her petite mouth.

"Hey, anything for one of the family," Robin smiled, patting her adoringly on the head. "Come on, it's almost noon, let's go see what the others are dong for lunch." The two sprinted to the kitchen, racing each other, Oleander bringing out Robin's childish side. They burst into the living room simultaneously, both gasping for breath, causing the rest of the team to look up in surprise. "I won," Robin gasped, resting his hands on his knees.

"No way, I was yards ahead of you!" Oleander heaved, her chest expanding and collapsing rapidly. The two continued their playful banter as they stumbled into the kitchen, their muscles weak from the sudden excursion.

"So, what do you guys wanna' do for lunch?" Beast Boy grinned, hopping up onto the counter top.

"Please, I dearly desire the boogers of cow," Starfire cheered, her eyes wide and begging at Robin.

"Yeah, I guess I could go for a hamburger too," Robin grinned at his girlfriend. Starfire whopped victoriously and ran to the living room door, begging the others to hurry. The Titans all filed out behind her, Raven quietly bringing up the rear. Since her dispute with Oleander a little over a week ago, Raven had grown even quieter than usual. She could feel the disappointment wafting off of the others, and she herself was nervous about trying to start the healing process. Beast Boy held her hand loyally as they headed down to the garage, but even he seemed to treat her differently.

At the burger shop, Oleander and Beast Boy opted for veggie burgers while the others ordered variants off the menu. They ate boisterously, louder than the other tables around them, their laughter often drowning out the music. Only Raven remained straight faced through the event, eating in silence. Oleander sat close to Cyborg, their legs brushing. Whenever Beast Boy inquired about their relationship, Cyborg always had the same answer; no, they weren't dating, they were just friends. Although all the other Titans easily saw through this, including Oleander herself, they didn't challenge him on it.

Oleander begged and begged, and finally, with a sigh of regret, Cyborg handed her the car keys, giving her permission to drive them all home. Cyborg's heart pounded all the way back to the garage, and although she was a fantastic driver, swerving in and out flawlessly between cars, Cyborg was relieved when she threw the gear shift into park.

"Wow! Nice moves, dude!" Beast Boy shouted, tumbling out of the back seat.

"Yeah, who knew you were just as good with machines as you are plants?" Robin smirked, following the shape shifter out.

"Fist bump!" Beast Boy called out, meeting Oleander outside the driver's door, his closed hand extended. Oleander bumped his gloved fist with her own, tiny pale one, a humble grin on her lips.

"Eh, she was alright," Cyborg teased, slamming the passenger door behind him. As the group of six headed back up the tower, Oleander shot him a glare that couldn't intimidate a bunny.

"What was that?" she quipped, her high pitched, childish voice making her attempt at toughness laughable.

"Oh, nothing, just that I am surprised you could see over the dash," Cyborg chuckled smiling down at her.

"I saw easily out the windshield!" Oleander shot back, trying to keep from smiling.

"Barely," Cyborg snorted, shaking his head. "We should get a booster seat for you." They continued their playful banter, and the other's slowed to a crawl, allowing the two lovebirds some privacy as they continued to flirt. Raven watch Oleander try to kick Cyborg's metal calf to hurt him, and smiled a small smile when he laughed at her attempts. She made him happy, and the other's liked her… how on earth was she suppose to fix this mess?

No calls came in for the rest of the day, and each Titan spent their crime fighting free day doing various activities that suited them. When the sun set, they watched it together from the roof. When it grew chillier, each Titan left, one by one, until it was just Cyborg and Oleander, leaning on the small wall at the edge of the roof, the dizzying drop below them.

"Will I see you in the morning?" Oleander asked hopefully, peering up at her friend.

"Definitely," Cyborg grinned back. He leaned down and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek, before turning and leaving. Oleander's hand reached out, trying to keep him with her, trying to come up with a convincing argument as to why he should stay, but was lost for words. He disappeared down the stairwell, and Oleander headed to her own room with a sigh, her emotions mixed with sadness that he had left, and joy that he was still interested in her. She closed the glass door to her greenhouse, and sighed with relief as the humidity and heat of the room enveloped her. All about, thick green foliage grew, their bright flowers and creeping vines hanging from the ceiling. With Oleander's encouragement, the room had turned from a relatively bare room, with a moss bed and large bath, into a tiny jungle.

Oleander removed her white dress, humming lovingly to her plants, causing the vines about her to clamor up the wall, covering the see through glass and giving her privacy. The only side that remained uncovered was the one that ran along the sheer drop of the tower to the east, where the sun would appear. She laid down, naked on her moss bed, prepared to fall asleep and wait for the first morning rays to grace her skin, when a sharp knock on the door roused her.

Pulling back one of the vines tenderly, Oleander was shocked to find Raven standing outside her door. Silently, she redressed, her mind a hurricane of emotions and thoughts. She still wanted Raven to like her; they were, after all, a family, although the tension remaining from the fight was palpable. But she also knew that Raven could still be a threat, and she wasn't going to be scared of her anymore. Sure, she was still shy and quiet, but she wasn't weak.

Oleander opened the door, and the two girls stared at each other, wordlessly. After a few moments, Ollie's irritation grew and she rolled her doe like eyes. "Why didn't you just warp in? You haven't had a problem barging in before." Raven blinked in surprise, and then stared at the toes of her boots in embarrassment. "Are you going to come in?" Oleander asked, holding her arm out welcomingly.

Raven walked through the threshold, Oleander's head only reaching the ends of her purple, shoulder length hair. The humidity almost made her gag, and she quickly removed her cloak. Oleander sat with her legs crossed on her moss bed, and as Raven looked about, unsure of herself, Oleander kept herself from crafting a living bench for her to sit on. She was already being polite by letting her into her sanctuary, she didn't want Raven to feel like she belong here, not yet.

"You were wrong," Raven said , finally deciding just to stand awkwardly in front of her.

"What?" Oleander squeaked, her confusion making her already flute like voice even lighter.

"You said that night that I of all people knew what it was like to have people judge me based on my parents before getting to know me. You were wrong, for the most part. I haven't been mistreated due to my paternity in a very long time." Raven finally crossed her legs and hovered a few inches above the dirt of the floor. "When I met the others, when they found out who I was, they didn't chase me out of town, of hurt me, or say cruel things. They accepted me, knowing that I wasn't where I had come from, but who I chose to be." Oleander stared at her blankly. "I guess that makes what I did even worse," Raven chuckled nervously, looking anywhere but at the botanist before her. "I didn't have a reason to be bitter, or angry, or the treat you like that. I hadn't been treated like that in years. But I chose to do it to you." Raven closed her eyes, sighed, and finally looked Oleander in the eye. "I mistrusted you when you were a stranger, and even after you had proven yourself worthy of my trust, I withheld it. And once I found out whose daughter you were, I let my mistrust grow to aggression, and it was wrong. I of all people should know what it's like to be judged on where I come from, and yet I treated you like all the terrible people I knew before the Titans. I'm sorry, Oleander, for judging you on where you came from, and not on who you are."

Oleander stared at her, still unsure as to whether or not to let her guard down. "Who is it you ashamed to be the daughter of?" Oleander asked, narrowing her eyes. Raven bit her lip, not wanting to reveal, not wanting to pass this final test of trust.

"My father was Trigon," Raven finally said, her monotone voice only underlining the weight of the statement. Oleander blinked rapidly in surprise, trying to comprehend and come to terms with this new piece of information.

"Look like we both were born on the side of evil," Oleander muttered sadly.

"But we chose the side of good," Raven said, reaching out in a rare display of affection and placing it on Oleander's shoulder. "That's what matters most, and I'm sorry that it took me so long to remember it." Oleander grinned at Raven, tucking a free piece of green hair behind her ear and nodding.

"I forgive you, Raven," she said simply. A few more moments passed, and Oleander tackled Raven from the air onto the ground, enveloping her in a hug. At first Raven was irritated, but swallowed her spite and wrapped her arms around the girl, afraid of bruising the healing they had just done. "I've been waiting a long time for your approval," Oleander said, her voice muffled in Raven's chest. Raven gave the timid girl a sincere squeeze before pushing her back.

"You should have had it sooner," Raven sighed, offering a small, apologetic smile. They chatted for a few more minutes, and Raven eventually left, wishing her new friend goodnight before heading to her own room. Oleander bounced around the room for a few minutes in glee, before kicking off her dress and inhaling the scent and pollen of a neon yellow flower by her moss bed. As she laid down again, the pollen working into her brain's system and making her drowsy, she felt her heart warm with contented joy; she had finally found herself a place she belonged.


	11. Yearning

When Oleander opted to eating her organic cereal the following morning with Raven in the corner of the room by the windows, the room fell deadly silent. The others hadn't known of the reconciliation the night prior, and they all held their breath, waiting for another issue to irrupt, putting them out of a home. When Raven grinned at Oleander's arrival and continued sipping her tea, Cyborg felt weary; of course he love Raven, she was family, but he would not let her try to harm his girl again.

"Good morning, Raven," Oleander sang, stirring her cereal slowly, soaking in more of the morning sun. Raven nodded her greeting, and took a sip of tea. Oleander's hair began to float about her again, her skin darkening to its emerald hue as she began to absorb the energy of the fresh rays. Raven glanced over, as only Cyborg had witnessed this phenomena before.

"That's weird," she stated, her voice not cruel or mean, just monotone; the tone she used when she was comfortable with her surroundings. Oleander raised her eyebrow at Raven.

"Weirder than a girl with grey skin, demonic blood in her veins and floating inches above the ground?" Across the room, Robin choked on his orange juice, expecting a bloody brawl to erupt.

"No, probably equally weird," Raven grinned, turning her attention back to the rising sun. The others were confused, but afraid to ruin the sudden unity of the team, they didn't question it. They continued their morning routines, eyeing the pair out of their peripherals, cautious.

They all went into town again, patrolling the streets casually. The girls walked in front of the guys, the sidewalk only wide enough for three bodies at once. Starfire was animatedly bouncing in the air, discussing something with gusto. Oleander and Raven listened politely and quietly, although Raven's body language spoke of more annoyance.

"Who would've thought," Beast Boy chuckled. When Cyborg asked what he was thinking about, the changeling gestured to the two pale women. "They're more alike than Ollie and Star are." The day passed on uneventfully, and Cyborg almost wished some scum would begin to wreak havoc on the city, just for something to do.

Eventually, they went to the city park, where Robin insisted they begin a game of football. Raven immediately opted to sit out, but when Oleander meekly agreed to play, the teams were suddenly uneven.

"Please, come Raven," Starfire said, her green eyes pleading. "We need another to even out the sides."

"Sports aren't my thing," Raven said bluntly.

"But this could be the first thing we all do together," Starfire whispered, trying to hide the sentimentality from the others. After a moment of mulling it over, Raven groaned and floated from her seated position, causing a victorious squeal to leap from Starfire's mouth. Raven didn't show it, but she really cared for her little family of misfits. Starfire hugged Raven, and she returned it with a unenthusiastic pat; just because she didn't show so much emotion, didn't mean that she cared for Starfire any less than Starfire cared for her.

In the end, Cyborg's team, which had both Beast Boy and Raven on it, lost. Robin whooped loudly when the game was over, jeering at the other team in good fun. Beast Boy and Cyborg pretending to grow angry, hiding their grins as they shouted back. Starfire bragged loudly, enjoying the animation the others were showing. Raven and Oleander hung back, quiet.

"It's just a game. Their shouting is pointless," Raven groaned, their loud voices irritating her.

"Yeah, it is," Oleander sighed, shaking her head with a smile as she watched Cyborg wave his arms wildly. "But it's how they have fun." A moment of silence passed, before Raven responded.

"My idea of fun is reading a book."

"Mine's tending to plants," Oleander shared. Another moment of silence.

"You're weird," Raven stated drily.

"Not weird," Oleander smiled, shaking her head. "Just different." Raven's head slowly turned, and she stared at Oleander. Years ago, when they had first met, Beast boy had called her creepy. As a way to comfort herself, she told herself _I'm not creepy, I'm just different._ Raven felt another pang of guilt rack her as she realized how much she had in common with this girl; they could have been close friends these past five months, but Raven had stopped the chance from that happening.

Oleander smiled a smile that was as warm as the setting sun's light, and lightly took hold of Raven's hand. "Come on, looks like their all ready to leave." Raven's guilt washed away and was filled with content. Oleander wasn't angry with her, so she shouldn't be angry with herself. Although she went about it the wrong way, she was only trying to protect her family. Now… Ollie was part of it.

They dog piled into the car roughly and went home, rowdy on the ride home. However, by the time they pulled into the driveway, the Titans were all physically exhausted from the day's adventures. On wobbly legs, Beast Boy hobbled out of the car, leaning on the T-Car for support. Starfire stretched her back, popping it loudly before sighing in relief. They crawled up into the living room, and after grabbing several large blankets, settled down to watch a movie. The action film was full of explosions and car chases, and the surround sound of the giant speakers transported all the Titans back to another crime fighting day.

By the time the credits were rolling up the screen, Oleander felt more exhausted than when she had initially sat down to relax and watch the film. As the other rose from the couch, chattering about the theme and plot, Oleander stood and nearly fell over from fatigue. Cyborg's metal hand caught her about the waist, supporting her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I need to get to my room," she whispered back, her throat cracking with dryness. As Cyborg helped her gently towards the door, the others noticed the situation.

"Dear Ollie, are you ill?" Starfire called, her green eyes narrow with worry. Oleander quickly nodded her head, signaling for Cyborg to answer for her.

"Yeah, she's fine, just tired is all," Cyborg called back as they limped together through the living room door.

"Hope you feel better!" Robin called just before the door closed them from view. When Cyborg was sure that the others couldn't see them, he swept Oleander off of her feet, carrying like a child, coddling him to his massive chest. Oleander glanced up at him nervously and tried to wiggle free, but Cyborg's strong arms held her fast.

"Stop, you're just wasting energy," Cyborg chuckled. "I'm just helping you to your room." He scaled the stairs quickly, her feather weight not slowing him down. When they reached to roof, he jogged speedily across the basketball court before yanking open the glass door to her home. She gestured weakly to the large, porcelain bath that was inlaid into the floor. He placed her gently next to it, and flinched when she dove fast first into the pool. She stayed under for a long time, and Cyborg began to worry.

She finally broke the surface calmly, taking a slow breath. "Geez, I needed a drink badly," she sighed, slicking back her long green hair. Cyborg grinned down at her as he knelt at the edge of the pool. She smiled back up at him, water droplets sneaking down her round face. They sat in each other's presence silently, enjoying their moment when Oleander suddenly cleared her throat.

"Um, could you do me a favor?" she asked shyly. Cyborg nodded, willing to do anything. Oleander looked down at herself; her white lacey dress clung to her body, soaked. "Could you go lay this out on the basketball court? It needs to dry." Cyborg nodded and helped pull the frail girl from the water. She began to remove her dress, and Cyborg about faced suddenly , feeling the heat rush to his face. Oleander felt a little put out by his sudden reaction, but stripped the soggy fabric from her skin quickly. "Here," she said, tapping it against his arm.

Without turning around, Cyborg snatched the dress and practically ran to the door, shutting it loudly behind him. Oleander watched him through the glass wall, her pride hurt. He'd seen her naked before, when she had soaked in the sunlight that first morning. He hadn't acted so disgusted before… was it because she wasn't pretty enough? Was she odd enough to gawk at when she green and glowing, but not beautiful enough to appreciate in regular nudity. Cyborg called back to her, again without facing her, that he was going to his room for the night. He stalked down the stairwell and out of sight.

Alone and saddened, Oleander curled up on her moss bed as the vines scaled the walls, encasing her in a green, private light, leaving only the east wall exposed again. Thoughts of inadequacy swirled through her brain; certainly she had been naïve to believe that they were ever more than friends.

Cyborg took the stairs two at a time, fleeing from his lust. Oleander was the most beautiful, flawless thing that had ever graced the good Earth to him. He wanted to put her on a pedestal, a gorgeous flower to protect and hold and cherish. But she was too gorgeous… the moment she had begun undressing, Cyborg's mind went into overdrive. He wanted her, so badly. He wanted her to be all his. He wanted to know what it was to be with a woman, one that he loved. Sure, he'd gotten plenty of offers, women throwing themselves at the city's hero, but… he wanted love, not fun. Terrified of ruining her childish perfection, he'd fled, afraid of hurting her, of offending her.

His pace slowed the further from the roof he got. God, how did people stand _this_? He already missed her. He slowly turned back to the stairwell, where he had come from. He felt guilty about his lecherous thoughts but… tonight, Cyborg was going to face the scariest and baddest villain ever. Tonight, he was going to face Oleander's possible rejection. It was time he spoke plainly of his emotions for her. With a deep breath, he took a slow step back to the stairs.


	12. New Age (Lemon)

**This is the LEMON chapter of this story! Should explicit sexual content offend you, please skip to the next chapter! Should anything vital occur in this chapter, it will be summarized at the beginning of the next. Enjoy!**

Oleander started when a heavy knock on the door jolted her from her near-sleep state. She rubbed her eyes sweetly, yawning loudly. She searched about for her dress, only to remember that it was lying outside, air drying. With a groan, she wove a tight and short body covering of vines and moss, covering only her most intimate sections, not wanting to keep the other person outside waiting too long. She stumbled to the door, her room pitch black, as the vines still covered all the glass walls. The only spot in her room that was illuminated was her moss bed in the corner, closest to the east.

She opened the door, and immediately flushed with embarrassment. Cyborg's fist was raised, ready to knock again, and he froze, staring at her. Immediately, she summoned more vines to cover her, shielding her stomach, lower back, and upper thighs from his curious eyes. As Oleander stuttered out a meek apology for appearing so indecent, Cyborg hardly heard her; the split second of seeing her nearly naked form for a second time nearly made his breath halt. "How can I help you?" Oleander finally managed. Cyborg shook his head, and then asked if he could come in.

Oleander stepped aside and allowed the giant man into her escape. She quickly summoned a study, wooden bench, which he sat on gratefully. With a flick of her fingers, several new plants sprouted about them; when they blossomed, they emitted a eerie, glow-in-the-dark sort of light, aiding the moon in illuminating the greenhouse. Cyborg marveled at the plants, his eyes wide and impressed.

"You really are amazing, girl. One of a kind," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Oleander turned and hid her blush behind her curtain of long, green tresses.

"What can I do to be of assistance?" Oleander finally managed, ignoring the happy bubbles popping in her tummy. Cyborg tried to start, then stopped, finding himself lost for words. He opened his mouth again, only to blow out hot air with a _whoosh_ , still unable to put feelings to sentence. Oleander waited patiently, but began to grow worried. "Cy, is something wrong?" she asked, stepping closer to him.

"No, no!" Cyborg said, trying not to worry her. "Nothing, really. I just… got some things on my mind."

"Well, why don't you tell me about it? Perhaps I can help," Ollie offered with a small smile, trying to relax Cyborg. He gazed up at her adoringly, and she felt twitchy beneath such a stare.

"Ollie, the last few weeks here, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind." Oleander felt a fiercer blush creep beneath her skin, and she looked away once more, trying to hide it. Cyborg used his thumb and fore finger to lightly grasp her round chin and turn her face back towards him. "Don't be embarrassed, Ollie. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever known." Her eyes met his, big and brown and watery. "I've been unhappy recently, and I think it's time you knew why." He released his gentle hold of her chin and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him. He nuzzled his face into her stomach, she still standing above him, and inhaled deeply. She scent was that of the most tantalizing perfume, of the most endearing bloom. Having her so close, just being in her presence… he felt like a normal man, not half cogs and scrap metal. "All I've wanted these past few weeks is you," he rumbled, his warm exhale caressing her tummy.

She wrapped her arms around his head and stroked it, resting her chin on his scalp, closing her eyes and relaxing, although her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest. "I think my heart's going to stop beating," Oleander whispered.

"I can tell," Cyborg chuckled, feeling the throb of her pulse against his ear. Slowly, he stood, and once he towered over her, he cupped her chin and gazed into her eyes. "Tell me you want me too," he whispered. "Tell me that what I've been picking up from day one wasn't all in my head." Oleander nuzzled against his broad metal chest plate, inhaling longingly, before peeling herself away.

"Cy, you're wrong, you don't know what you're asking for," she sighed, her frail voice quavering.

"What do you mean?" he asked, reaching out for her touch again. She stepped back once more, increasing the distance between the two lovers.

"There isn't a future with me, Cy," she sighed, looking out the window wall to gaze at the moon. "I'm not human. With me, you won't ever be able to have kids; I don't have a human reproductive system." Cyborg reappraised her ; just looking at her, you would've never guessed she was anything but human…well, save for the vines that currently kept her modesty. But on any given day, she looked like any person you might see on the street.

"I don't care," Cyborg whispered, closing the distance between them and wrapping her in his bulky arms. He planted a big kiss on the top of her tiny head, burying his face in the locks of her long green hair. "Lots of other couples can't have kids naturally, and that doesn't stop them from being happy. Why should that stop us?"

"Because having a future, kids, that's what normal couples do!" Oleander protested, her voice muffled against his body.

"Who ever said we were conventional?" Cyborg chuckled. She peered up at him, hope glimmering in her round eyes. "I've chosen you, Oleander, but if you don't feel the same way… if you so choose, just say the word, and I'll go away."

As Cyborg held his breath, praying that she felt the same way about him, Oleander began weighing the possibilities. He said he wanted her, but was it fair that she wanted him too? Was it fair to rob him of what he could've had with another woman? He said that he didn't want children now, but he was still so young, what if his opinion changed in the future? "I think I love you," she blurted out, her train of thought finding the controls of her vocal chords and sneaking out. She bit her lip instantly with regret as the look of surprise on his face dawned.

After a second, his wide eyes of shock fell away, and his face cracked into a joyous grin. "Well, I'm glad you at least _think_ you love me." He planted a gentle kiss on her small lips. " 'Cause I know I love you." Oleander smiled so hard her cheeks grew sore before standing on her tip toes, begging for his lips again. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers once more, relaxing in her tiny arms.

She broke the kiss and untangled herself from his arms. Grabbing both his wrists with a smile, she gave a mighty tug, trying to pull him to her moss bed. He came willingly, her forcefulness unnecessary; he would've done anything for her.

She playfully sprawled onto the bed and shimmied over, leaving him plenty of room to lay next to her. As he fell to his knees beside her, the glass house shook. Cyborg winced at his weight, but she only giggled, thinking of him as a giant dog who thinks he belongs in someone's lap. Cyborg rested beside her, and found the moss bed surprisingly soft and slightly damp. As they stared into each other's eyes, often stealing kisses, each feeling like the first, Cyborg thought of the time, nearly three months ago where they sat in a tiny green enclave, whispering about colors and beauty.

Oleander placed a sweet kiss on his nose, her eyes sparkling as she pulled back. "I…I want t try something," she whispered, afraid of her voice being too loud in this perfect silence. Cyborg gave her a questioning look, and she mentally strengthened her resolve. She kissed him again, watching through her eyelashes until his eyes closed to savor their intimacy. When she was sure he wasn't looking, she slowly commanded the vines shielding her body to retract.

Cyborg's hand flinched away when he felt her bare skin beneath his fingertips, believing that his hand must've slipped down. However, as he felt her soft skin beneath his hands again, he grew confused; he was certain he had been still this time. He broke the kiss, and blinked in confusion. Hadn't more of her body been covered before?

"Ollie, what're you doin'?" he asked, studying her with his eyes. Oleander felt both ashamed and worried, hoping that he wouldn't reject her.

"I, uh, said I wanted to try something new," she squeaked, avoiding his intense gaze.

"Yeah, well, I didn't think you meant…I mean, I don't think it's the best idea," Cyborg said haltingly, trying to reason out his hesitancy. Oleander sighed, and her head rolled around to look at him, annoyance tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Cy, I'm nearly nineteen! I'd never known kindness or happiness until I met you. These past few month have been magnificent, and I appreciate everything you and the others have done for me, I really do! But…" she bit her lip, nervous with her request. "I want… I want more. I've never felt the way I do for you with anyone else and…I know that there's more." She shuffled over until she sat beside his laying form, peering down at him with pleading eyes. "Am I wrong for wanting more?"

Cyborg smiled and stroked her cheek, shaking his head. "No, you're not wrong, Ollie, it's just… maybe too fast." Oleander scoffed and rolled her eyes, a rare display of sass.

"It's been three, nearly four months since we met, and don't tell me you haven't wanted me since that first day," she groaned, impatient. "And last time I checked, I haven't made love with a man in... hmmm… lemme' think…never." Cyborg chuckled, rolling his eyes. "I want my first time to be with you." Cyborg sobered and stared at her, wanting what she said to be true, and fearful it wasn't.

"You sure?" he questioned.

"I'm sure," she said firmly. He reached up and cupped her face, gently beckoning her lips back down to his. The kiss started slow and innocent, and when Oleander finally pressed her tongue lightly against his lips, he proceeded to kiss her more passionately. The heat dialed up steadily and gradually, and soon, all the vines covering Oleander's body were gone.

Cyborg wrapped his massive arms his tiny lover and slowly rolled over her so he was above her. He broke their steamy kiss and trailed moist kisses down her neck, across her collar bone, up her other side and lightly bit her earlobe. Her breaths ripped from her lungs quickly, her mind trying to comprehend all the stimulus at once, overwhelmed by the fresh experience. She felt her arousal grow between her long, porcelain legs, her craving for him becoming unbearable.

His hands slid around her curves, squeezing her small breast teasingly before trailing down her tiny waist line. She hummed with pleasure, her eyes squeezed shut as she focused on the feeling of her delicate skin being caressed. When his hand snuck between her legs, and his massive finger began to lightly prod her clit, her body tightened with the sudden shock of pleasure. He kissed her reassuringly, and when her body relaxed again, he rubbed it once more, drawing a moan from her perfect lips.

He swirled his hand slowly and lightly, letting her virgin body grow accustomed to the sensation. When her moans grew deeper and louder, he worked his hand faster and harder, pressing against her sex gland excitedly. Her back arched, lifting her off the ground slightly, and his free hand slid beneath her and supported her as he lifted her breast to his mouth, his titanic arms supporting her feather weight.

Tentatively, he slid his smallest finger inside her wet vagina, and he felt her muscles tense around him in surprise. He slowly pulled it out and pressed it back in, and she moaned his name in ecstasy, savoring the penetration.

He lowered her body back down to the moss beneath her carefully, before using the newly freed hand to swirl her clit once more in time with his thrusts. Oleander felt she was about to explode with pleasure, and right as she was sure she was going to, she heard a mechanical whirring. Her eyes cracked open and she looked down at Cyborg who rested on his knees between her legs. The metal plate that covered his groin slid aside, and his hardened member stuck out.

"Are you sure?" Cyborg asked a final time, his voice husky with desire. Oleander nodded rapidly, hating the wait. He pulled his hands from her and slowly pushed inside of her carefully, watching her face to gauge her pain.  
Oleander gasped as her virgin walls widened with him inside her. She snatched one of his hands and clamped it over her mouth, using it to muffle her whimpers. Her mouth opened with a hiss of pain, and her tongue flicked against his palm. She could taste her own sex on him, strong and enticing. She licked his palm again, enjoying her own taste, relishing it.

Cyborg shuttered as her tongue pressed against his hand again, moaning how sexy it was. Encouraged by his words, she licked his hand again, rougher and more confident. Cyborg pressed inside of her faster before pulling out and pressing his way deep inside her again. Oleander moaned against his hand, her thighs tightening around him.

"Faster," she gasped, tossing his hand aside. He began to thrust against her quicker, her smooth, soaked cunt massaging his long shaft. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped her legs tighter, the head of his penis pushing into her tight pussy desperately. He pulled out and flipped her onto her knees before him and pushed back into her, moaning as she surrounded him again. She gasped in time with his thrusts, her body shaking with the force of impact.

He slipped his right hand back to her clit and rubbed it demandingly, coaxing her to an orgasm. "Cyborg, yes," she moaned, her sweet voice poisoned with desire. She felt the pressure building beneath his touch, and grew louder in her moans. When her first orgasm finally broke, she screamed with pleasure, her toes curling behind her and her breath tearing from her lungs. She lost control of her body, and unable to support herself in the doggy position, fell forward, her weight resting on her breasts and cheek, while Cyborg held her ass still up in the air.

He slowed his thrusting, and when she seemed to be breathing regularly again, he slipped his finger back onto her clit. "Cyborg, I-" her words were cut off by her own moan of pleasure as his metal finger began to vibrate against her rapidly. She gasped in surprise, trying to worm away from him, her body still sensitive. He held her hips with his free hand firmly, not allowing her to move.

"Thought you'd like that," he grunted heatedly in here ear, a horny smirk on his lips. She breathed his name over and over, unable to think through her rapture and say anything else. Her second orgasm came much quicker, hot on the heels of the first. Every muscle in her body tightened with the sensation, and she gasped for air, trying not to drown in the electric current that zinged through her fibers.

As her pussy tightened around Cyborg's penis in her wave of bliss, Cyborg couldn't hold back any longer. He hilted himself balls deep inside of her and came, his whole body igniting with fire. His orgasm seemed to last decades, shooting deep inside her freshly fucked cunny.

When it finally ended, he pulled out of her slowly, a thin line of semen following him out before breaking. Oleander, finally allowed to rest, fell onto her side, her green hair sticky with sweat, her eyes half closed and unfocused. Cyborg crawled onto the bed next to her, his breath coming in heavy and exhausted gasps. They grinned weakly at each other before Cyborg leaned forward and kissed his lover endearingly on the forehead.

When morning broke the next morning, Cyborg's bionic eye creaked open, and he saw his girlfriend's skin emerald green as she began absorbing the first rays of light. With a quick apology, Cyborg explained that his battery was low, and he had to get to his charging station. She nodded her understanding, and as he left, she couldn't restrain her smile. It was the dawning of a new age.

 **To any of my readers who were waiting: sorry guys! I've been on winter break, but I haven't been relaxing! I got a job, so I've been working overtime most days. Thanks for your patience, and thanks for reading!**


	13. The Storm's Front (Conclusion)

Cyborg's mind slowly came to consciousness as the beeping of his arm monitor sounded off. He creaked his eyes open and peered at the screen, which showed a battery flashing with green light. Fully charged, he disconnected the plug in the center of his chest and yawned into his massive metal hand. He stepped off the upright slab of metal he rested on during charging, and smiled as the memories of the evening returned to his mind. His eyes landed on something that he hadn't really paid attention to in quite some time. In the corner of his room were some ancient armor, a massive sword, and a rusty helmet from the time he had visited Sarasim in the ancient past. He smiled happily; he was certain that she would be happy he found someone.

He cracked his neck and walked out of his dark bedroom. As he entered the long hallway, golden sunshine burned his retinas. It must've been at least noon! He stomped heavily to the living room and as the doors open, the soundtrack to life in the Titan's Tower played. Beast Boy and Robin raced each other on the Game Box, Starfire was painting Raven's nails black and chattering as Raven smiled and nodded quietly in response, and Oleander was perched quietly on the back of the couch, watching the two race cars swerve around one another on the screen.

As the door slid open with a whir, Oleander turned around with an expectant smile. "Hi," she sang, twiddling her fingers excitedly at her partner. Cyborg smiled and strode over with a hop in his step, glowing in her presence.

"Morning, gorgeous," he said boldly, planting a confident kiss on her lips before striding over to the kitchen. "What'd everyone have for breakfast?" The room had fallen silent; Everyone stared in abrupt confusion. Starfire's jaw hung open, the brush of the black nail polish dripping a small pool of night onto the yellow counter. Raven's expressive purple eyes zipped between Oleander and Cyborg, back and forth, back and forth. Robin's mask was in two huge circles, gaping at Oleander's face, while Beast Boy's controller dangled from his fingertips.

"Oh, we all had vegan pancakes," Oleander smiled, ignoring the other's reaction to the kiss. "There's some in the fridge, but it's lunch time now." Cyborg peered into the fridge and analyzed the pancakes before closing the door.

"You're right," Cyborg said, turning back to the others. "What do y'all want to eat?" Silence followed, the other's still working their brains around the newest development.

"Well," Oleander giggled, looking at her friends, waiting to see how long until they came to, "I think Beast Boy mentioned that he had heard of a new Greek place or something downtown." More silence.

"Since WHEN!?" Beast Boy finally shouted, throwing the Game Box controller carelessly into the air. The others all exited their reverie at Beast Boy's shout, and various degrees of congratulations and incredulous questions filled the air. Starfire swooped Cyborg in a huge hug, taking him several yards into the air.

"Oh, my most sincere congratulatory remarks, Cyborg!" she cheered, nuzzling her face into his cold chest. Cyborg said thanks weakly and tried to block out the pain as he tried to return her iron embrace. Robin and Beast Boy patted Ollie on her back, ruffling her hair as if she was a toddler.

" 'Atta girl!" Beast Boy bellowed, further tangling up long green locks. She swatted away his hand, only to get pounded on the back again. She fell off the couch's back with the force of the impact, but she didn't feel bashful or nervous; being with the Titans had made her stronger. She quietly smiled and nodded her head, slightly embarrassed at the attention she was receiving.

"Alright, quit!" Cyborg finally called as Starfire set him down. "I'm hungry, and I haven't eaten for hours!" The Titans filed out of the living room, Raven following slowly. Oleander, noticing her friend's slow pace, fell back and joined her darker friend. They walked together in silence for a while, the rest of the team faded into the distance as they began racing each other to the car. Cyborg pushed Starfire into the wall, and she tripped him in retaliation. The rest of the group sped ahead, laughing, and he shouted his sworn revenge as he disappeared around the corner after them, their voices disappearing in a echoing fade.

"Goodness, are they a boisterous group," Oelander said as a comfortable silence finally enveloped them. Raven could sense the joy that was bubbling over inside of Oleander, and her empathic abilities began to allow it to rub off on her.

"I'm glad you two found each other," Raven said, her usually emotionless voice sincere and honest. Oleander grinned happily at her calm friend, unable to contain herself.

"Thank you, Raven, I am glad to have found him as well!" She wrapped her hand around Raven's wrist, tugging her into a jog. "Come on! Let's hurry!"

"I'm not much for running," Raven groaned, her monotone voice returning as she was dragged faster.

"Come on! Let's go, they will leave without us!" Oleander cried with a laugh. Raven rolled her eyes and began running with Ollie, her infectious happiness taking hold.

"I'm gonna' beat you!" Oleander sang as she caught the stair railing and using it to whip her around.

"No you won't!" Raven gasped, catching the hem of Oleander's dress and pulling her backwards. They pushed and swatted at each other. When they bursted into the garage, the others were already in the car. Oleander reached the car first, and tugged the backseat car open, only to have Raven shove her out of the way and steal her seat." I won!" Raven cheered through her uncontrollable laughter. Oleander stuck out her tongue defiantly and jumped in as well.

She fit like a puzzle piece into their life, a missing section they never knew was misplaced. She helped Cyborg upgrade the Tower's defense systems, and lifted weights with Robin when Cyborg didn't feel like it. She went shopping with Starfire, and Beast Boy began helping care for the plants in her room on the roof. Raven would often wake up early and climb the Tower's height to meditate with Oleander while she charged on the cusp of the Tower's edge, soaking in the UV rays.

When the villains heard that a permanent addition to the Titans had been made, they grew cocky and challenging, often crawling out of the darkness to test her abilities. Quickly the bad guys learned she wasn't to be taken lightly, and they slunk back into the musty corners they had spawned from. The attacks on the city grew fewer and farther between, now that the team was stronger. However, whenever a baddie did strike, it was more severe than before. Only the strongest of the Titan's adversaries stuck around to challenge them, while the others moved to city's with weaker defenses.

Oleander was watching the sun set as she hummed contently in the living room with Starfire's head in her lap. The two had spent a few hours talking, and as Oleander began to run her fingers through Starfire's long red hair, she had fallen asleep. Oleander was still stroking her long tresses when the room flashed red, the alarms sounding throughout the Tower. Starfire sat up and flew over to the computer in the center of the room, Oleander jogging up behind her. Starfire's fingers flew on the keyboard, her green eyes focused on the keys.

The door whirred open, and the other Titan's fell in one by one. "What's happening?" Robin demanded, seeing he had lost the race to the keyboard.

"It's Slade!" Starfire called back, finally pin pointing the attack's location. "He's attacking the park!" On the huge TV screen above her head, a map of the city appeared, and where the park was, a flashing red light bleeped.

"Titans, move out!" Robin commanded. Heeding their leader's bark, the all jumped from the window wall, Starfire carrying Robin, Beast Boy morphing into an eagle, and Raven carrying Cyborg and Oleander on a platform of energy.

"Slade!" Robin shouted as he dropped from the sky and onto the plush grass of the city park. The others landed angrily behind him, their eyes slitted with anger. Slade turned around; his fist was wrapped around a young boy's throat, holding him aloft in the air, his tears soaking the glove.

"Robin. So good to see your face. It's been some time," Slade mused, addressing the hero.

"Put the boy down!"Robin shouted in fury, his metal bo staff whipping into his hand.

"Isn't attacking kids beneath you yet, or are you still so low?" Beast Boy growled, crouching low, ready to charge.

"I figured, what better way to call out my old friends?" Slade chuckled, his gripped tightening around the young child's throat. Oleander growled with a raising of her hand; a thick, woody vine shot from beneath Slade and wrapped around his arm, constricting it like a snake. He shouted in surprise and pain, his ego bruised; he was rarely caught off guard. His arm spasmed and he dropped the child. Raven warped through the ground and appeared next to the child in a blink of an eye. She threw her blue cap over him and warped him back behind the friendly line.

"Go!" she shouted, pushing the child to run away. Oleander twisted the vine, and Slade's arm locked behind his back. He fell to his knees with a cry of pain, his eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"I see you have a new friend," Slade gasped, his eyes finding Oleander and narrowing with hatred. A black streak dashed from a tree and appeared beside Slade. The sun glinted off a metallic surface as the sound of blades cutting through the air whispered, and Slade stood slowly, his confidence returned as his vines fell away, sliced in half. "Well, I too have a new partner." The blur stopped moving, and the lines of the form solidified. "Ravager, have you met the Titans?" The girl was thin, almost dangerously so. She had long silver hair, and each hand, a thin sword was gripped. Her face couldn't be seen; she wore a mask identical to Slade's.

"I haven't had the pleasure," she growled, her single visible eye narrowing in hostility. She twirled the swords in her hands, a wordless threat.

"Believe me," Robin hissed, "the pleasure is all ours, that is, it will be when we put you two behind bars." Robin slipped his hand into his utility belt and yanked out a discus. "Titans, go!" He threw it in the direction of the villain, and it exploded on contact directly after they leaped free from harm.

"Oh, Robin," Slade said drably, rolling his eyes. "As usual, you've skipped the introductions and formalities, but if you really want to, we can get down to business." The ground shook ferociously. It shattered like glass, and from it spewed Cinderblock, and he slammed his fist towards the heroes.

"Titans, move!" They all dodged free, and that's when Starfire nearly choked on her shock.

"Sister?" she gasped. Floating above her, Blackfire smirked down, her ego oozing from her pores.

"Hello, Starfire, dear!" she sang, her eyes beginning to glow purple.

"You are suppose to be in jail!" Starfire screeched, shooting starbolts forward, trying to knock her elder sister from the sky.

" Aren't you happy to see me?" Blackfire laughed, swooping down and scooping Starfire into combat. Cinderblock's massive punch slammed into Cyborg's chest, and he caught it with a scream of strain, trying to contain the force. Slade engaged Robin, their punches and kicks disappearing with their agility.

"Robin!" Beast Boy shouted, dashing to his leader's defense. His path was suddenly blocked by a red wall, and the shape shifter morphed into a crow, cawing in surprise as it flew back in retreat.

"Bet you can't keep up with Billy Numerous!" Dozens of voices shouted as Numerous pursued the fleeing Titan.

"This is starting to smell like a trap," Raven sighed, blinking in disinterest. A shadow fell across her body, and she teleported away just in time as Mammoth's fists crushed the place she had just stood in.

"Raven," Oleander gasped, running to help. A impact crunched into her cheek, and she fell to the ground. She groaned and scrambled to her feet, turning to her attacker. Ravager appraised her skeptically, curious.

"So, Titan, tell me," she asked, swirling her twin blades, "what can you do?" Oleander's brow furrowed, and with a battle cry, raised both of her hands above her. A flurry of thick vines wrapped around Ravager in a blink of an eye, and she cried out in surprise. "Dad!" Slade spun around and drew a knife from his belt, freeing her before defending himself from Robin's volley of punches. Oleander pushed the panic button on her communicator as Ravager clawed her way from her bindings. She dashed towards Oleander, slashing her swords with a scream. Oleander dodged quickly, her breath quick and sharp.

Ravager flipped around in a roundhouse kick that nailed Oleander in the face again, knocking her from her feet. Ravager raised her sword, ready to plunge her weapon into her victim, only to be knocked from her feet by a green starbolt as Starfire sped by, her older sister hot on her heels. Oleander scrambled to her feet, and looked around for where she could help the most in the least amount of time. Beast Boy was running away from a dozen Billy Numerous', a green cheetah. With a flick of her hand, a tree root raised from the ground, and the multiples tripped with a cry of confusion. Oleander ducked as another sword chased after her.

Chaos reigned in the park. Explosions and screams and grunts of effort filled the air. Combatants switched constantly, endless combinations of which hero against which villain were created. Robin skittered across the ground, and looked up weakly. Above him, Cinderblock raised a mighty fist, ready to crush him. Suddenly, Robin was many yards away, and he was in someone's arms.

"It's good to see you," Kid Flash smiled down at him, placing him gently back onto his feet.

"You too," Robin nodded. "I see someone pushed the panic button." A clap of thunder sounded, and a bright light carved its way from the sky to the ground, and Thunder and Lightening jumped into the fray.

"Mas y Menos, si problemos!" a yellow and red blur zipped about, wreaking havoc. Slade's chest heaved, and his glare searched the battlefield, assessing the situation.

"Another day, Robin," he called before turning and running away. Ravager followed after him, and each villain in turn began to retreat as well.

"Don't let them get away!" Robin commanded. Blackfire flew straight into the air, and Raven and Starfire followed in hot pursuit. Billy Numerous ran away in different directions, but Oleander wrapped each double up in thick vines, each turning into a tall, green column, so they couldn't divide further. Cinderblock ran to the edge of the park, and Beast Boy chased after him. Cyborg fought fist to fist with Mammoth, and after finally muscling the Hive academy graduate into a headlock, and shooting him point blank with his sonic cannon, he was able to knock the cretin unconscious. Mas y Menos zipped after Slade and his daughter.

Oleander hobbled over to Robin. "Now what?" Oleander whimpered, irritated and in pain. Robin yanked off his communicator with a wince and flipped it open.

"Listen up, Titans," he spoke into the mouth piece. "Round up the villains, then meet up at Titans Tower. We need to regroup." He flipped it shut, and the group waited for the authorities. Mammoth and Billy Numerous were tranquilized and loaded into the police's transport van. As the flashing blue and red lights disappeared, Kid Flash sighed.

"Well, let's get back to the Tower, the others might already be there." He scoop up Robin, who was still limping, and disappeared as he raced to the Tower, a blur of yellow and red. Cyborg and Oleander collapsed into the car, and the drive home was silent, each mind filled with contemplation and anxiety.

When the two lovers finally stumbled into the Tower's living room, Robin, Thunder and Lightening, Kid Flash, Starfire and Raven were the only ones back already. "Blackfire got away," Starfire sighed, her hair and Raven's cloak looking damp.

"She hid in the clouds," Raven grumbled, twisting at her clothes, trying to rid it of extra liquid. Beast Boy and Mas y Menos stumbled through the door.

"Nosotros no pudímos encontrarlos," Mas y Menos groaned.

"Cinderblock got away too," Beast Boy growled, not putting weight on his left foot. "He ran to the edge of the ocean and just kept walking into the water. Couldn't swim after him, i think I sprained my arm during the fight."

"¿Que vamos a hacer?" Mas moaned. Everyone began to whisper with apprehension, and Robin cleared his throat, calling back the attention.

"Right now, we're all going to rest," he said. "If they've went into hiding, we won't be able to find them. Not yet, not without knowing more about what their planning. Right now, everyone just go to sleep and get some rest."

The Titans each dispersed, each to their own room, the Honorary Titans drifting off to various guest rooms. Oleander and Cyborg scaled the stairs up to her room. The crisp, night air caressed their cheeks as they crossed the rooftop to her room. She closed the door behind her boyfriend, and the vines crawled up the walls, giving them privacy and a darker, more calm atmosphere. Oleander stripped down immediately and slipped into the tub, sighing with relief. Cyborg sprawled out beside her bath, his sore feet finally getting some relief. Time passed slowly, and they meditated in the presence of each other.

"What do you think they want?" Oleander finally asked.

"I have no clue," Cyborg groaned, rubbing his face. "But I think things are going to be a little more exciting from now on." A moment of silence passed, then Oleander turned in the water, putting her wet face close to his.

"I won't let them hurt you," she whispered with conviction. He grinned as he turned his face to hers. It was endearing; the tiny little woman telling the burly, nearly seven foot tall man that she was going to protect him. As he helped her from the tub and she threw her naked body on her moss bed to air dry, Cyborg sat beside her, rubbing her back soothingly, swearing that he too wouldn't let them hurt her.

 **Thanks for reading guys! Hope you enjoyed the story, and thanks for all the feedback I got while working on it.**


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